Efficacy and safety of selective renal arterial embolization in renal angiomyolipoma: a prospective single-center study

Abstract

BackgroundPreventing acute complication of renal angiomyolipoma (AML), preserving renal parenchyma, and improving long-term renal function are the treatment targets of renal angiomyolipoma. Treatment should be considered for symptomatic lesions or those who are at risk of complications, especially bleeding symptoms, which are linked to tumor size, angiogenic component grade, and presence of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Selective arterial embolization (SAE) has become the new norm for preventive or emergency treatment of renal AMLs with minimally invasive selective targeting of small arterial feeders, we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of selective renal arterial embolization (SAE) in the management of complicated renal angiomyolipoma and to detect the predictors of prophylactic SAE in cases of non-complicated AML.ResultsBleeding symptoms were significantly more frequent in patients with TSC-associated renal AMLs (C = 0.333 and p = 0.036) and patients with intra-lesional aneurysm > 3 mm (C = 0.387 and p = 0.013). Overall success rate: thirty-three (91.7%) renal AMLs were successfully embolized with no recurrence. While three (8.3%) renal AMLs were not; one (2.8%) renal AML was not embolized due to technical failure and two (5.5%) renal AMLs showed recurrence. Primary (technical) success rate: thirty-three (86.9%) successful embolization, five (13.1%) arteriographies were done with failed embolization. The maximum diameter and volume of the lesions after SAE showed statistically significant reduction (z = 4.25 and p < 0.001).ConclusionsSAE is an effective and safe technique to manage renal AMLs preoperatively or in an emergency. TSC-associated lesions, and intra-lesional aneurysms (aneurysms > 3 mm in diameter) were significantly more associated with bleeding symptoms, considering them significant predictors for prophylactic SAE in non-complicated AML.