Atheroembolic renal disease
Alternative Names
Renal disease - atheroembolic; Cholesterol embolization syndrome; Atheroemboli - renal; Atherosclerotic disease - renalSymptoms
AERD may not cause any symptoms. Symptoms that may occur include:
- Foot pain, ulcers on the feet, or “blue toes”
- Pain in the abdomen, nausea, or vomiting
- Pancreatitis or hepatitis (rare)
- Strokes or blindness
- Flank pain and blood in the urine (rare)
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure
Kidney failure may result in the following:
- Nausea or vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Decreased or no urine output
- Swelling
- Decrease in sensation
- Skin pigment changes
- Dry itchy skin
- Drowsiness, confusion, lethargy
Exams and Tests
The doctor will perform a physical exam. Swelling may affect the entire body. An eye exam may show particles in the small arteries of the retina.
The doctor will listen to your lungs and heart with a stethoscope. Abnormal sounds may be heard. For example, a loud whooshing sound called a bruit may be heard over the aorta or renal artery.
Blood pressure may be high. There may be multiple ulcers of the skin of the lower feet.
Tests that may be done include:
- Abdominal CT scan
- Abdominal MRI
- Abdominal x-ray
- Chem-7 or chem-20
- Complete blood count
- Kidney biopsy
- Kidney function tests including BUN and creatinine
- Kidney or abdominal ultrasound
- Renal arteriography
- Serum complement
- Serum lipids
- Urinalysis
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