Purpose of review: Loin pain hematuria syndrome (LPHS) frequently presents with severe chronic pain that poses a clinical challenge. Current treatment approaches are mostly empirical and include a wide range of therapeutic strategies such as physical therapy, local and systemic analgesia, interventional and surgical approaches usually flanked by psycho-behavioral therapy, and other strategies. LPHS often impacts negatively on quality of life particularly in patients who are refractory to treatment.
Recent findings: With recent advances in catheter-based treatment approaches and better understanding of the pathophysiology of LPHS, intraluminal renal denervation (RDN) has been proposed as a valuable treatment option for kidney-related pain syndromes. The present review provides a brief overview of the clinical challenges associated with LPHS, highlights recent insights into its underlying mechanisms, and summarizes currently available data on the use of RDN in the context of LPHS and kidney-related pain syndromes. Renal denervation via various approaches including surgical and catheter-based techniques has shown promise in alleviating kidney-related pain syndromes. Randomized controlled trials are now required to better define its role in the management of these conditions.
Keywords: Autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease; Chronic kidney disease; Hypertension; Loin pain hematuria syndrome; Renal denervation; Sympathetic nervous system.