Renal artery aneurysm: surgical indications and results

The clinical course of 23 patients with 28 renal artery aneurysms (RAAs) is reported. The RAAs were recorded over a period of 10 years. Thirty-five per cent of the RAAs (eight of 23 patients) were detected during the investigation of hypertension, whereas 26% (six of 23 patients) were discovered incidentally while imaging atherosclerotic arterial disease in the aorto-iliac region by angiography. Twenty-two aneurysms were treated surgically and primary nephrectomy was necessary in one case. The surgical technique used was excision of the aneurysm with bypass grafting in 13 cases (seven Dacron, five vein, one arterial bypass), a running suture following aneurysm excision in four cases and an end-to-end anastomosis in two cases. The results (for a period of 1-10 years) were excellent in all but three cases: two early graft occlusions (vein interposition) and one late occlusion (Dacron bypass) in the course of a re-operation which had become necessary because of a ruptured aneurysm of the gastro-epiploic artery after 3 months. Three of 23 patients were treated by embolisation of four intraparenchymal aneurysms. The follow-up of a non-treated saccular aneurysm showed a total thrombosis of the aneurysm within 4 years and fixed renal hypertension developed later in this patient. We suggest surgical repair of an RAA regardless of its size and the clinical symptoms, in order to prevent microembolism into the renal parenchyma and to avoid the development of fixed renal hypertension. Intrarenal aneurysms can be treated by embolisation to stop severe haematuria thus preserving the kidney.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)