Renal Subcapsular Hematoma Due to Reperfusion Injury Following Renal Angioplasty in Fibromuscular Dysplasia: A Dilemma in Diagnosis and Management

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a potentially treatable cause of renovascular hypertension and it typically affects young females. FMD usually involves distal two-thirds of the renal artery and percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) is the treatment of choice for FMD with resistant hypertension. PTRA is a safe procedure with minimal complications. However, renal subcapsular hematoma due to reperfusion injury is a rare complication following PTRA. A 32-year-old male presented with resistant hypertension. Arteriography of renal arteries showed >90% stenosis of ostial-proximal left renal artery with a string of beads appearance. PTRA was performed with the deployment of a 4 x 10 mm balloon-expandable stent in the stenotic segment of the left renal artery. However, computed tomography of the abdomen revealed massive left perinephric subcapsular hematoma without peritoneal collection. As the patient was hemodynamically stable, no invasive intervention was done, and discharged without requiring any anti-hypertensive medication. Putative reperfusion injury may provoke bleeding complications after renal angioplasty in a case of long-standing renal artery stenosis and can be managed conservatively with close surveillance in certain cases.