Bilateral kidney infarction due to primary Al amyloidosis: a first case report

A Case of Isolated Renal Light Chain Amyloidosis With Hematuria and Low Complement Levels

The prevalence of light chain (AL) amyloidosis, characterized by the deposition of amyloid chains, is gradually increasing. The clinical features of the disease depend upon the location of amyloid deposition and can manifest in many forms. Although laboratory investigations can reveal proteinuria and change in complement levels, hematuria and low complement levels are rarely reported. There are very few cases of renal AL amyloidosis presenting as persistent hematuria. We present the case of a 54-year-old female presenting with abdominal pain, proteinuria, and moderate persistent hematuria on admission who was later diagnosed with AL amyloidosis on biopsy.

When Bodybuilding Goes Wrong—Bilateral Renal Artery Thrombosis in a Long-Term Misuser of Anabolic Steroids Treated with AngioJet Rheolytic Thrombectomy

Bilateral renal infarction is an extremely rare condition with only few cases reported in the literature. We present a case of bilateral renal infarction affecting an otherwise healthy 34 year old bodybuilder chronically misusing testosterone and stanozolol. The patient presented with severe flank pain mimicking renal colic and biochemical features of acute kidney injury. Diagnostic workup revealed thrombosis affecting both renal arteries. Subsequently, the patient underwent a percutaneous rheolytic thrombectomy with AngioJet catheter, along with catheter-directed thrombolysis. Right-sided retroperitoneal hematoma developed as an early complication, mandating surgical exploration and nephrectomy due to kidney rupture and the unstable condition of the patient. Intensive care and continuous renal replacement therapy were instigated until a gradual improvement of the patient status and a return of kidney function was achieved. No abnormalities were found in the cardiological and hematological evaluation. We believe this is a first report of bilateral renal infarction associated with anabolic steroid misuse in an otherwise healthy individual, and a first report of AngioJet thrombectomy in bilateral thrombosis of renal arteries. It stresses the importance of a thorough diagnostic workup of colic patients and emphasizes the need for sports medicine to reach out to amateur athletes with education on the harms of doping.

Renal Infarction and Its Consequences for Renal Function in Patients With Cardiac Amyloidosis

OBJECTIVE

To describe the prevalence of and risk factors for renal infarction (RI) in patients with cardiac amyloidosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We evaluated 87 patients with cardiac amyloidosis who underwent renal technetium-99m-labeled dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy in the Amyloidosis Referral Center of Henri-Mondor Hospital from October 1, 2015, through February 28, 2018.

RESULTS

Three groups of patients were identified according to the underlying amyloidosis disorder: AL amyloidosis in 24 patients, mutated-transthyretin amyloidosis in 24 patients, and wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis in 39 patients. Patients with wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis were older (P<.001), more likely to be men (P=.02), to have arrhythmic heart diseases (P<.001), and to be receiving anticoagulation treatment (P<.001). Patients with AL amyloidosis had significantly higher N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels (P=.02) and were more likely to have nephrotic syndrome (P<.001). Renal infarction was detected in 18 patients (20.7%), at similar frequencies in the various groups. Baseline urinary protein to creatinine ratio was the only parameter for which a significant difference (P=.03) was found between patients with and without RI diagnoses. The likelihood of RI diagnosis was 47.1% (8 of 17) in the presence of AKI and 14.5% (10 of 69) in its absence (P=.003). Overall, heart transplant-censored patient survival did not differ significantly between patients with and without RI (P=.64), but death- and heart transplant-censored renal survival was significantly lower in patients with RI (P<.001).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that prevalence of RI in patients with cardiac amyloidosis is higher than previously thought, regardless of the underlying amyloidosis disorder. Acute kidney injury in a patient with cardiac amyloidosis should alert clinicians to the possibility of RI.

Asynchronous Bilateral Renal Infarction and Thrombophilia With Associated Gene Mutations in a 43-Year-Old Man: A Case Report

Renal infarction (RI) is frequently misdiagnosed or diagnosed late because of its rarity and nonspecific clinical presentation, which may result in irreversible damage to the renal parenchyma or increase the risk of other embolic events affecting additional organs. Multiple causal mechanisms and cases of idiopathic RI have been reported, but the causal factors are not clear in most cases.Here, we report the case of a patient with heterochronic bilateral RI caused by thrombophilia. Although he had several risk factors for hypercoagulation disorders, two gene mutations-MTHFR 677 C>T and PLG 1858G>A-were identified by genome sequencing of the entire exome. The findings suggest the possibility of a synergistic relationship between the two gene mutations.Thus, screening for gene mutations may provide additional clues for clarifying the cause of RI and thrombophilia.