kidney and urinary tract disorders
Atheroembolic Kidney Disease
Causes of Atheroembolic Kidney Disease
Tiny pieces of hard fatty material adhering to a hardened (atherosclerotic) blood vessel wall, usually the aorta, break off and travel through the bloodstream, becoming emboli (atheroemboli). Some emboli travel to the smallest renal arteries, blocking parts of the kidney’s blood supply. Usually, this process affects both kidneys about equally and at the same time. Atheroemboli also may go to other organs and block blood flow there. The fatty material may break off spontaneously when there is severe Atherosclerosis of the aorta. It more commonly occurs as a complication of surgery or angioplasty or of imaging procedures that involve the aorta, such as arteriography, when pieces of fatty material adhering to the walls of the aorta are unintentionally broken off. Atheroembolic kidney disease is much more common in older people. 