Reversal of acute renal failure following percutaneous transluminal recanalization of an atherosclerotic renal artery occlusion.

Thrombosis of the renal artery to a single functioning kidney is a known cause of anuric acute renal failure in atherosclerotic hypertensive patients. In the present report, recovery of renal function rapidly occurred following transluminal recanalization of the occluded artery with a 7F catheter after a 5-week period of anuria. The most interesting feature was that improvement of renal artery permeability was observed following a minimal interventional procedure.