Renal artery laceration secondary to percutaneous nephrostomy catheter placement.

Renal artery hemorrhage secondary to placement of percutaneous nephrostomy catheters can lead to major operations and even nephrectomy. We recently treated a woman who suffered a renal artery laceration during percutaneous nephrostomy catheter placement using interventional radiographic techniques. The perforation site was identified using angiography and treated using selective embolization. The patient was able to avoid a surgical procedure with its inherent risks.