This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Cikrit, D. F. Articles by Dalsing, M. C. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Cikrit, D. F. Articles by Dalsing, M. C. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Giant Renal Artery Aneurysms

Case Reports

Department of Surgery, Section of Vascular Surgery, Indiana University Medical School, Indianapolis

James J. Szwed, MD

Department of Nephrology, Winona Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana

Harold M. Burkhart, MD

Michael C. Dalsing, MD

Department of Surgery, Section of Vascular Surgery, Indiana University Medical School, Indianapolis

Renal artery aneurysms (RAAs) are rare, relatively small, and do not need to be treated in most instances. Giant RAAs (> 5.0 cm in diameter), however, may require a different approach. Two women, both 75 years old, were treated at the authors' institution for giant RAAs. One patient, with a single kidney, was diagnosed with acute renal failure as a result of ureteral obstruction by a 6.0-cm RAA. The other RAA was found incidentally on a plain abdominal radiograph performed for right flank pain; severe hypertension was present in this patient. Computerized tomography (CT) scan in this patient demonstrated a left RAA with a maximal diameter of 6.5 cm. Arteriography was obtained in both patients. Both aneurysms were located adjacent to the hilum of the kidney arising from a major branch of the main renal artery near the branch's origin. Both had evidence of partial calcification within the wall.

The patients were treated surgically with partial excision and ligation. In the first patient, surgery was necessary to relieve ureteral obstruction, whereas hypertension control was the main goal in the other. The patients did well with maintenance of renal function postoperatively.

Giant RAAs may cause pain, obstruction of the ureter, or renal vascular hypertension. Resolution of these symptoms can be expected with proper surgical intervention as well as elimination of the potential risk for rupture.

Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Vol. 34, No. 6, 513-520 (2000)
DOI: 10.1177/153857440003400602


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?