Summary

Acute renal infarction: an underdiagnosed cause of abdominal pain

Gómez Ara AM, García García A, Cruz López A, Burillo Fuertes P

Affiliation of the authors

Servicio de Urgencias. Servicio de Medicina Interna. Hospital de Alcañiz. Teruel, Spain.

DOI

Quote

Gómez Ara AM, García García A, Cruz López A, Burillo Fuertes P. Acute renal infarction: an underdiagnosed cause of abdominal pain. Emergencias. 2010;22:117-9

Summary

Acute renal infarction as a cause of abdominal pain is rare, though its frequency is

increasing along with atherosclerotic disease. Given that underdiagnosis is often a

problem, it is important to bear this diagnosis in mind whenever a patient presents with

abdominal and flank pain, an elevated lactate dehydrogenase level, and abnormal

sediment in urine. When radiologic and ultrasound images of the abdomen are normal

and no signs suggest urinary tract obstruction, contrast-enhanced computed

tomography (CT) would be indicated to confirm the diagnosis; this noninvasive

examination is useful because the effectiveness of treatment is time-dependent. We

report the case of a woman with nonspecific abdominal pain and the aforementioned

abnormal laboratory findings. CT images were diagnostic. Fibrinolytic therapy was not

indicated and treatment with anticoagulants (low molecular weight heparin at

therapeutic dosages) was started. The patient’s condition worsened, however, and she

died a few days later.

 

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