Renal arteriovenous fistula after kidney biopsy: color Doppler ultrasound and angiography diagnosis with embolization using the same procedures

Arteriovenous (AV) fistulas are an uncommon but well-known complication of percutaneous renal biopsies. Recent studies suggest that Color Doppler Sonography is useful in the identification of post-biopsy renal AV fistulas. AV fistulas may cause persistent hematuria, hypertension, or high-output cardiac failure. In these cases surgical ligation or angiographic embolization is necessary. In this study we report a case of post-biopsy renal AV fistula identified with Color Doppler Sonography and Angiography. The renal AV fistula also was embolized with a platinum microcoil under angiographic and ultrasonographic guidance.