Endovascular treatment of renal artery aneurysms with conventional non-detachable microcoils and Guglielmi detachable coils.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of endovascular occlusion of true renal artery aneurysms (RAAs) with conventional non-detachable microcoils (NDCs) and Guglielmi detachable coils (GDCs).

Patients And Methods: Over a 5-year period, 12 RAAs were treated by endovascular selective embolization. Four RAAs were occluded using NDCs and eight were treated with GDCs. All coils were delivered through a microcatheter. Eight RAAs were located in the bifurcation of the main renal artery, two in the main renal artery and two were intrarenal. Before treatment, four patients presented with hypertension, one associated with renal infarction and a second had flank pain due to microembolization. Two other patients had renal infarction, associated with haematuria in one; one other patient also had haematuria and five patients were asymptomatic. All patients were followed using clinical and angiographic examinations after 6 months, 1 and 2 years.

Results: All RAAs were occluded successfully. In two patients treated with NDCs there were minor complications, i.e. one subsegmental peripheral infarction and one misembolization, both without clinical symptoms. In the group treated with GDCs there were no complications. Five of seven patients were clinically improved, while two patients remained clinically unchanged.

Conclusion: Superselective endovascular treatment of RAAs with microcoils is a safe, efficient, and less invasive alternative to surgical treatment. The high flexibility and softness of the GDC and the controlled detachment enables a safer and more complete occlusion of RAA than current alternatives.