Transarterial embolization for serious renal hemorrhage following renal biopsy

The goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of percutaneous transarterial embolization for the treatment of serious renal hemorrhage after renal biopsy. Nine patients with renal hemorrhage had frank pain and gross hematuria as main symptoms after renal biopsy. Intrarenal arterial injuries and perinephric hematoma were confirmed by angiography in all cases. The arterial injuries led to two types of renal hemorrhage, Type I: severe renal injure or intrarenal renal artery rupture (n=5), with contrast medium spilling out of the artery and spreading into renal pelvis or kidney capsule in angiography; Type II, pseudo aneurysm or potential risk of intrarenal artery injure (n=4), where contrast medium that spilled out of intraartery was retained in the parenchyma as little spots less than 5 mm in diameter in angiography. Transcatheter superselective intrarenal artery embolization was performed with coils or microcoils (Type I intrarenal artery injure) and polyvinyl alcohol particles (Type II injure). The intrarenal arterial injuries were occluded successfully in all patients. Light or mild back or abdominal pain in the side of the embolized kidney was found in three patients following embolization procedures and disappeared 3 days later. Serum creatinine and perinephric hematoma were stable, and gross hematuresis stopped immediately (n=4) or 3-5 days (n=3) after embolization. In conclusions, transcatheter superselective intrarenal artery embolization as a minimally invasive therapy is safe and effective for treatment of serious renal hemorrhage following percutaneous renal biopsy.