Definition:
Acute arterial occlusion of the kidney is a sudden, severe blockage of the artery that supplies blood to the kidney.
Alternative Names:
Acute renal arterial thrombosis; Renal artery embolism; Acute renal artery occlusion; Embolism - renal artery
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
The kidneys are very sensitive to the amount of blood that flows through them. Any reduction of blood flow through the renal artery can impair kidney function. If prolonged, a complete blockage of blood flow to the kidney often results in permanent kidney failure. Acute arterial occlusion of the kidney can occur after injury or trauma to the abdomen, side, or occasionally the back. Blood clots that travel through the bloodstream (emboli) can lodge in the renal artery. The risk of emboli increases in people who have a history of certain heart disorders such as mitral stenosis or atrial fibrillation. Individuals with disorders that make them highly likely to form clots may be especially likely to develop acute renal artery occlusions. Occasionally, renal artery stenosis can increase the risk of a sudden occlusion because a clot forms.
References:
Kanso AA, Hassan NMA, Badr KF. Microvascular and macrovascular diseases of the kidney. In: Brenner BM, ed. Brenner and Rector's The Kidney. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa; Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 32.
|