Restoration of kidney function after prolonged renal artery occlusion

An 11-month-old child developed renal artery occlusion (RAO) and anuric renal failure following an unsuccessful transluminal renal artery angioplasty of a solitary kidney. Despite the prolonged period of anuria, kidney viability was suspected based upon preservation of kidney length and the absence of glomerulosclerosis. At 19 months of age, revascularization of the kidney was performed. During the 7 months following revascularization, renal function gradually improved so that dialysis was no longer necessary. This improvement occurred in spite of significant tubular atrophy. Kidney viability may have been preserved, despite prolonged ischemia, as a result of the decreased renal oxygen consumption that existed during subfiltration glomerular perfusion pressures. The low normal blood erythropoietin level may have reflected the lack of renal hypoxia. The ability of the kidney to adapt to chronic ischemia underscores the importance of considering vascular reconstruction in all patients with RAO despite a long period of non-function.