Preoperative embolization of a tumor-bearing horseshoe kidney via both channels of a concomitant aortic dissection.

Renal cell carcinoma arising in a horseshoe kidney is a rare entity. Preoperative tumor embolization can be performed to prevent massive bleeding complications during organ-preserving surgery. We report the first case of a patient with a tumor-bearing horseshoe-kidney in whom the preoperative embolization, already complex because of the abnormal vascular supply, was additionally complicated by an aortic dissection. An aberrant, horseshoe-kidney-supplying artery originated from the false dissection channel of the aorta, and thus had to be catheterized separately while the other tumor-supplying vessels could be reached via the true aortic lumen. After devascularization of the tumor, organ-preserving surgery was performed without bleeding complications.