[Bleeding renal angiomyolipomas. CT findings].
OBJECTIVE
To describe our experience in three cases of abdominal haemorrhage caused by bleeding renal angiomyolipomas, which were studied with Computed Tomography (CT).


METHODS
A retrospective study carried out at our archives identified 3 patients (aged 58.6 on average) with renal angiomyolipomas clinically manifested with acute abdomen and haemorrhage. The patients underwent an emergency CT scan of the abdomen. One patient also under-went a subsequent renal angiography. All patients had surgery and histological characterizations of the renal lesions.


RESULTS
The CT study on all three patients allowed detection of a lesion in the kidneys with inhomogeneous density due to haemorrhage. Areas with fat-density values (-60 -80 UH) were always observable within the lesions. The lesions, measuring 5-9 cm, were located in the right kidney in two patients and in the left kidney in one.


CONCLUSIONS
In 40% of patients, renal angiomyolipoma may account for a picture of hypovolemic shock, so a correct diagnostic approach is important to guide the surgical approach. CT allows detection of the angiomyolipoma as the cause of the haemorrhage in most cases. The diagnosis is relatively simple when the lesion has typical features such as adipose content, whereas it may be difficult with non-typical aspects. Furthermore the fat content may also be detected in varying quantities in other renal lesions responsible for bleeding.
Salerno
Sergio
S
Sezione di Scienze Radiologiche, DIBIMEL, Policlinico Universitario P. Giaccone, Università degli Studi, Palermo. radpa@unipa.it
Lo Casto
Antonio
A
Sorrentino
Fortunato
F
De Maria
Marcello
M
Cardinale
Adelfio Elio
AE
D000368:Aged; D018207:Angiomyolipoma / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed