Risk factors of renal artery pseudoaneurysm following partial nephrectomy / 中华泌尿外科杂志

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveTo study the risk factors of renal artery pseudoaneurysm (RAP) following partial nephrectomy.MethodsOpen partial nephrectomy was performed on a total of 464 cases of renal cell cancer from July 2003 to May 2010. Five patients ( 1.1％ ) had postoperative hemorrhage from RAP.The surgery technique of the open partial nephrectomy, the clinical presentation, imaging findings and treatment of RAP were reviewed. The anatomical characteristics of these five renal tumors on enhanced CT were quantified using the R.E.N.A.L. Nephrometry Score System.ResultsAll five cases were male, two had tumors on the left side and three on the right side. Median tumor size was 3.6 cm ( range from 2.5 to 5 cm; Radius score 1 - 2). Four tumors were exophytic of these, three had a major endophytic component (≥50％) deep in the parenchyma (Exophytic/endophytic score 2 ), one was entirely endophytic (score 3 ). The distance of all the tumors to the collecting system was ≤4 mm ( Nearness score 3 ). Four of the five tumors were across the polar line and/or renal axial midline ( Location score 3 ). The other tumor was located under the lower pole ( Location score 1 ) but close to the renal hilar. All patients presented with delayed gross haematuria and decreasing hemoglobin occurred on mean postoperative day 12 (3 -23 day). Four patients complained of flank pain, two of which had signs of hypovolemia requiring blood transfusion. The diagnosis was confirmed by the contrast medium-enhanced CT and selective angiography, and RAP was found most commonly arising from the segmental branch of renal artery. Superselective microcoil angioembolization was successfully performed in four cases, once in three cases and twice in the remaining case. The procedure failed in one patient and a nephrectomy was done. At a mean follow-up of 21 months (12 -30) , all patients had normal renal function without evidence of recurrence.ConclusionsRAP should be considered in all patients who had delayed hematuria after partial nephrectomy. A central, deep tumor and its relationship to the segmental branch of renal artery could be an important risk factor for this complication. Choosing the case properly for partial nephrectomy and suturing the transected vessels and the defect of parenchymal correctly could reduce occurrence of this serious complication. Early use of selective angioembolization could be a primary choice of treatment.