Rhabdomyolysis and unilateral renal infarction after a motor vehicle crash

A 46-year-old man with no previous history of abnormal urinalysis findings or renal dysfunction was admitted to a local hospital because of a motor vehicle crash. An open laparotomy was performed to treat a perforation of the small intestine. After operation, oliguria and renal dysfunction developed, and he was admitted to our hospital because of acute renal failure after trauma. Acute renal failure was assumed to be due to rhabdomyolysis with elevated serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and creatine kinase levels and myoglobinemia. Left flank pain occurred several days after admission, and the serum alkaline phosphatase level increased between days 5 and 12 following admission. Although hemodialysis was performed 9 times and the urine output was satisfactory, the creatinine clearance levels increased only to about 50 mL/min/1.73 m2 (0.84 mL/s/m2) at 6 weeks following admission. As a result, a diagnosis of renal infarction due to acute renal artery occlusion was considered. The left kidney was atrophic on an abdominal computed tomographic scan and was nonfunctioning on a renogram. This case shows the importance of not overlooking the possibility of a renal infarction associated with rhabdomyolysis after a motor vehicle crash. In particular, the changes in the serum alkaline phosphatase levels were important in making a correct diagnosis in this case.