[Renal arteriovenous fistula (AVF) following nephrectomy : a case of arterial embolization treatment].

The patient was a 78-year-old female. At the age of 76, the patient had undergone computed tomographic scanning for left lower abdominal pain. A retroperitoneal mass was detected on the right side of the abdomen. The patient had been subject to right nephrectomy due to renal calculus at the age of 33. With Doppler echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), based on the nephrectomy the patient was diagnosed with a renal arteriovenous fistula developed in the right renal bed. Following the wishes of the patient a follow-up examination was conducted. Because of poor heart condition and renal dysfunction, percutaneous arterial embolization was performed. After the embolization, the heart condition and renal dysfunction indicators improved and the blood flow in the arteriovenous fistula disappeared. Cases of renal arteriovenous fistulae after nephrectomy are rare, with only 90 reported worldwide, and percutaneous arterial embolization has been used as the first choice of treatment in recent years.