Renal infarction as an uncommon cause of abdominal pain. A case report

Abstract

Renal infarction is a rare cause of abdominal pain whose diagnosis is often misunderstood or severely delayed. The difficulty in identifying this time-dependent condition greatly limits the possibilities of therapeutic intervention and determines the loss of renal parenchyma that could have been saved with prompt diagnosis. It is, therefore, essential to include renal infarction in the differential diagnosis in case of abdominal pain and to identify this pathology beforehand. We present a case of a 65-yearold male with atrial fibrillation in therapy with Edoxaban who was admitted to the hospital for acute onset of widespread abdominal pain with nausea, vomit, and a worsening of renal function according to the laboratory tests. An abdominal computed tomography with contrast confirmed the presence of a bilateral renal infarction. The patient developed chronic kidney disease and was discharged on anticoagulant therapy. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to increase physician awareness towards this condition, the best opportunity to diagnose early renal infarction and to establish acute and long-term therapy.