Renal Failure due to Cholesterol Embolization Following Percutaneous Transluminal Renal Angioplasty

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Medicine Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 35 - 38
• Main Authors: KOGA, Tokushi, OKUDA, Seiya, TAKISHITA, Shuichi, SHIGEMATSU, Akihiro, KOMOTA, Tetsuo, FUJISHIMA, Masatoshi, MATSUKUMA, Akito
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 1991
• Subjects: Aged; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary - adverse effects; Aortic Diseases - complications; Arteriosclerosis - complications; Atrophy; Cholesterol; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications; Embolism - etiology; Female; Humans; Hypertension, Renovascular - therapy; Ischemia - etiology; Kidney - blood supply; Kidney - pathology; Kidney Failure, Chronic - etiology; Renal failure; Renovascular hypertension
• ISSN: 0021-5120; 1881-123X
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine1962.30.35

Percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty was performed in a 63-year-old diabetic woman who had renovascular hypertension with solitary functioning kidney and diffuse atherosclerosis. Angioplasty was technically successful, while thereafter, fever and myalgia of legs occurred with gradual increases in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. The patient became uremic over a month after angioplasty and was placed on dialysis. She died six months after angioplasty. Autopsy revealed cholesterol embolization in bilateral kidney, pancreas and spleen, causing subacute renal failure. It is suggested that careful assessment of the patient should be made when determining the need for renal angioplasty for renovascular hypertension with a solitary functioning kidney.