kidney and urinary tract disorders
Blockage of the Renal Arteries
Diagnosis of Blocked Renal Arteries
Routine laboratory tests Imaging tests Doctors may suspect a blockage because of the symptoms. Routine laboratory tests, such as a complete blood count, blood tests of kidney function, and urinalysis (microscopic examination of the urine), may add further clues to the diagnosis. Because none of the symptoms or laboratory tests can specifically identify a blockage, doctors need to do Imaging Tests of the Urinary Tract of the kidneys. Arteriography is the most accurate test doctors can use to confirm the diagnosis. With arteriography, a catheter is inserted into an artery, which occasionally causes injury to the artery. In addition, as with CT angiography, arteriography involves use of a radiopaque contrast agent that increases risk of kidney damage. Arteriography is done only if doctors are considering surgery or angioplasty to relieve the blockage. Doctors may monitor how well kidney function recovers by repeating blood tests that measure kidney function at frequent intervals. Sometimes, additional tests such as Echocardiography and Other Ultrasound Procedures are done to determine the cause of the blood clots. 