菅野 義彦¹, 中島 美智子², 吉岡 久², 苗村 健二³, 鈴木 洋通¹

Yoshihiko KANNO¹, Michiko NAKAJIMA², Hisashi YOSHIOKA², Kenji NAMURA³, Hiromichi SUZUKI¹

¹埼玉医科大学腎臓内科, ²埼玉医科大学中央超音波室, ³田辺製薬株式会社

¹Department of Nephrology, Saitama Medical School, ²Central Laboratory, Saitama Medical School, ³Tanabe Seiyaku Company Limited

キーワード : contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, Levovist^®, renal dysfunction, renal infarction

Renal infarction is a relatively rare disorder that produces an array of symptoms. The diagnosis of renal infarction is often difficult, and because this diagnosis requires evaluation of renal blood flow in patients with renal dysfunction, in whom the use of contrast agents should be avoided, it tends to be delayed. We recently encountered a case of renal infarction in which Levovist^®, a new intravenous contrast agent, proved useful in diagnosis. The patient, a man aged 63 years whose major complaint was abdominal pain, was admitted to our hospital. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with Levovist^® clearly showed a hypovascular area in the supra-anterior region of the left kidney. This finding led to a safe, rapid diagnosis of renal infarction in the left kidney that was later confirmed by contrast CT. This case suggests the usefulness of Levovist^® in the diagnosis of renal vascular diseases, especially when renal dysfunction is present.