The role of interventional radiology for pediatric blunt renal trauma

BACKGROUND This study aimed to appraise the role of interventional radiology in children with blunt renal trauma. METHODS The clinical data, injury severity score, days of hospital stay, outcomes and complications of pediatric renal trauma were recorded and evaluated. The two groups: the transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) group and the non-TAE group were compared for clinical features and laboratory data. RESULTS Eighteen pediatric patients (12 boys, 6 girls with average age 12.4 ± 4.7 years) with blunt renal injury were included in the study. Six patients underwent angiography because of contrast medium extravasations in the kidney found on computed tomography of which four subsequently underwent a TAE. The clinical features and laboratory data of patients in the TAE and non-TAE groups were not significantly different. All patients were managed successfully by conservative treatment without complications except one in the non-TAE group who required nephrectomy due to renal arterial hypertension directly related to trauma. Both groups had relatively good results and all patients had normal renal function at follow-up. CONCLUSION TAE is an alternative therapeutic modality for blunt renal injury in children who have contrast medium extravasations in the kidney on angiography.