Making the Diagnosis
Renovascular disease, like many kidney diseases, is often only diagnosed after much damage has happened. This is because the symptoms are not easily noticed until other problems appear, such as high blood pressure.
If renal artery occlusion is suspected, a diagnosis is needed as soon as possible to avoid potential kidney damage. Following a physical exam, a doctor may order some of the following tests to check for blockages:
- abdominal ultrasound
- blood tests
- CT or CAT (computed tomography) scan of the abdomen
- IVP (intravenous pyelogram) - an x-ray of the kidneys, ureters (they carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder), and bladder
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen
- renal arteriography - an X-ray that checks the renal arteries using dye
- renal scan or renal perfusion scintiscan - a kind of X-ray exam that scans the arteries to the kidneys without using dye
If the doctor think the problem may be renal vein thrombosis, they will order a urinalysis to check the urine for protein or red blood cells. Along with the tests for renal artery occlusion, other tests might include an angiography (an X-ray taken after dye is injected) of the vena cava (the large vein going into the heart) or the renal vein.
In order to diagnose renal atheroembolism, the doctor may do a biopsy to examine kidney tissue. An eye exam might also reveal an embolism in the eye.