Ruptured renal artery aneurysm during pregnancy, a clinical dilemma

Rupture of a renal artery aneurysm (RAA) during pregnancy is a rare event, with a high mortality rate for both mother and fetus. Increased blood flow and intra-abdominal pressure, and vascular changes secondary to increased steroid production are postulated as contributory to the increased risk of rupture during pregnancy.

We present here a case report of total avulsion of solitary kidney secondary to rupture of RAA in a pregnant patient with congenital absence of the contralateral kidney. The main indication for nephrectomy was severely damaged kidney. Diagnosis was made during operation and both mother and fetus were saved. There are no previous reports of an intact renal artery aneurysm diagnosed either antepartum or postpartum.

The possibility of a ruptured RAA should be considered in pregnant women with evidence of retroperitoneal hemorrhage. This case was unusual because it occurred in a solitary kidney, during the third trimester of pregnancy.