NSAID associated bilateral renal infarctions: a case report

Renal infarctions (RIs) are caused by interruptions in the renal arterial blood flow. RIs are generally considered to be rare, however we present the case of a 37 year old woman whose renal infarction was likely due to the vasoconstrictive effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Although high-dose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are known to cause a decrease in renal perfusion, they have not been accepted as causative agents in renal infarction. Theoretically, patients in prostaglandin dependent states should be more vulnerable to renovascular vasoconstriction and resulting hypoperfusion in the presence of NSAIDs. Given the high prevalence of NSAID use, we suspect that this mechanism of renal injury may be more prevalent than previously thought.