Ultrasound diagnosis of renal infarction: case report and review of the literature.

Renal infarction secondary to thromboembolism is usually a sequela of cardiac disease, the heart being the source of systemic arterial emboli in up to 94% of cases; the three major causes are: atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction and rheumatic mitral stenosis. Renal infarction is often confused with other conditions due to similar presenting symptoms. This leads to delay in initiating treatment and significantly decreases the chances of renal salvage. We report a sonographic diagnosis in 39-year-old man, with risk factors for thrombosis, without a prior history of thromboembolism.