Renal Artery Embolism: Therapy With Intra-arterial Streptokinase Infusion

AbstractIntra-arterial infusion of streptokinase was used successfully to dissolve a 7-day-old main renal artery embolus in a 49-year-old woman. Renal artery patency was documented after 18 hours of thrombolytic therapy and secondary hypertension was ameliorated. Selective, intra-arterial fibrinolytic therapy may obviate the need for surgical embolectomy in poor risk patients in whom operative mortality rates appear unacceptably high.