Rupture of renal artery aneurysm during the early post‐partum period

Abstract

Rupture of renal artery aneurysm associated with pregnancy is an uncommon condition. It is known that almost all previously reported cases have occurred during pregnancy. We experienced a case of rupture of renal artery aneurysm during the early post-partum period which was diagnosed by computed tomography and treated by angiographic embolization. To our knowledge, only two cases of rupture of renal artery aneurysm during the post-partum period have been reported in the English-language published work. An early diagnosis of rupture of renal artery aneurysm during the post-partum period is very challenging because the clinical symptoms of this condition are acute abdominal, flank or back pain, which are relatively common signs caused by more common post-partum complications. However, rupture of renal artery aneurysm is a life-threatening emergency condition requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment. The possibility of a rupture of renal artery aneurysm should be considered in any pregnant women with symptoms of an acute abdomen with hemorrhagic shock.