Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the diagnosis of post-partum bilateral renal cortical necrosis: a case report and review of the literature

Renal cortical necrosis is a rare condition with complex pathogenesis. There is no consensus over the best investigative modality for an initial diagnosis that is often in the context of acute renal failure. The applications of ultrasound contrast are ever growing, particularly with regard to the as...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Abdominal imaging 2014-06, Vol.39 (3), p.550-553
Main Authors: McKay, Hamish, Ducharlet, Kathryn, Temple, Faye, Sutherland, Tom
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Case Report
Contrast Media
Diagnosis, Differential
Female
Fluorocarbons
Gastroenterology
Hepatology
Humans
Image Enhancement - methods
Imaging
Kidney - diagnostic imaging
Kidney Cortex Necrosis - diagnostic imaging
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Postpartum Period
Puerperal Disorders - diagnostic imaging
Radiology
Ultrasonography
Young Adult
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Summary:Renal cortical necrosis is a rare condition with complex pathogenesis. There is no consensus over the best investigative modality for an initial diagnosis that is often in the context of acute renal failure. The applications of ultrasound contrast are ever growing, particularly with regard to the assessment of abdominal organs. Here, we present a case of post-partum bilateral renal cortical necrosis affecting bilateral native kidneys and the subsequent use of contrast enhanced ultrasound in confirming this diagnosis. The sonographic appearance was found to correlate with the patients’ clinical presentation and other imaging findings. Secondarily, this allowed for appropriate and timely medical management and establishes the utility of ultrasound contrast in this clinical scenario. Contrast enhanced sonographic assessment should be considered early in patients with suspected renal vascular compromise. It is a safe, easy and efficacious investigative modality to stratify those patients with renal cortical necrosis from those with potentially reversible medical causes.
ISSN:0942-8925
2366-004X
1432-0509
2366-0058
DOI:10.1007/s00261-014-0093-1