Renal Artery Aneurysms: Report of 8 cases and review of literature

Kim, Yong Gui; Moon, Seok Il; Moon, In Sung; Koh, Yong Bok

Abstract

Renal artery aneurysm is a rare disease and a uniommon cause of renovascular hypertension. The estimated incidence of renal artery aneurysm in the normal population varies from 0.09% to 0.3%. Eight renal artery aneurysms that we experienced between February 1986 and January 1998 were reviewed. All were saccular including one iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm after balloon angioplasty for fibromuscular renal artery stenosis. The ages ranged from 20 through 66 years with the mean age of 42 years and there was no difference in sex distribution. Of the 8 patients, 6 were diagnosed on the basis of arteriography, 1 on the basis of computed tomography, and 1 at a urologic surgery. There was no aneurysm ruptured spontaneously. The aneurysm size ranged from 1.5 cm through 12.5 cm with the mean size of 4.1 cm, but 7 aneurysms were not greater than 5 cm in size. In 4 patients (50%) the aneurysm were calcified. Only four had symptoms such as pain or discomfort on trunk. 2 patients had associated renovascular hypertension. 5 patients (63%) underwent operation i.e. 3 arterial reconstruction and 2 nephrectomy that was inevitable due to complicated location or surrounding adhesion enough to unappreciable of vascular reconstruction. One associated hypertension was cured with operation, another renovascular hypertention was not resolved by operation. There was no operative mortality. This study reveals that the saccular type is predominant and spontaneous rupture is uncommon feature in renal artery aneurysm.