A Rare Case of Unilateral Renal Cortical Necrosis

Yngvar Lunde Haaskjold; Kim Nylund; Rannveig Skrunes

doi:10.1159/000512228

A Rare Case of Unilateral Renal Cortical Necrosis

Case Rep Nephrol Dial. 2021 Feb 12;11(1):63-68. doi: 10.1159/000512228. eCollection 2021 Jan-Apr.

Authors

Yngvar Lunde Haaskjold¹, Kim Nylund^{2

3}, Rannveig Skrunes^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
² Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
³ National Centre for Ultrasound in Gastroenterology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.

Abstract

Unilateral cortical necrosis is a rare condition, and only described in a few case reports. We present a case of a previously healthy 24-year-old male with acute unilateral cortical necrosis, where contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) became a valuable diagnostic tool. Antiphospholipid syndrome was subsequently diagnosed. Primary antiphospholipid syndrome is a well-known, but rare cause of cortical necrosis. It promotes thrombosis in renal arteries, capillaries and veins, and usually affects both kidneys. Unilateral cortical necrosis due to antiphospholipid syndrome has, to our knowledge, not been previously described.

Keywords: Acute kidney injury; Antiphospholipid syndrome; Contrast-enhanced ultrasound; Renal ischemia; Unilateral cortical necrosis.

Publication types

Case Reports