BackgroundThis study aimed to appraise the role of interventional radiology in children with blunt renal trauma.MethodsThe clinical data, injury severity score, days of hospital stay, outcomes and complications of pediatric renal trauma were recorded and evaluated. The two groups: the transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) group and the non-TAE group were compared for clinical features and laboratory data.ResultsEighteen pediatric patients (12 boys, 6 girls with average age 12.4 ± 4.7 years) with blunt renal injury were included in the study. Six patients underwent angiography because of contrast medium extravasations in the kidney found on computed tomography of which four subsequently underwent a TAE. The clinical features and laboratory data of patients in the TAE and non-TAE groups were not significantly different. All patients were managed successfully by conservative treatment without complications except one in the non-TAE group who required nephrectomy due to renal arterial hypertension directly related to trauma. Both groups had relatively good results and all patients had normal renal function at follow-up.ConclusionTAE is an alternative therapeutic modality for blunt renal injury in children who have contrast medium extravasations in the kidney on angiography.

Thromboembolism presenting with malignancy is common in adults but rare in children. We describe the case of a 17-year-old boy admitted to our hospital with syncope. Computed tomography revealed thromboembolism in both the lungs. Magnetic resonance imaging found thromboembolism in the inferior vena cava and a large heterogeneous mass in the pelvis. Pelvic osteosarcoma was confirmed by computed tomography-guided biopsy. Despite intensive chemotherapy and local radiation, only transient response was noted, the tumor remaining unresectable. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of simultaneous pulmonary and inferior vena cava thromboembolism secondary to pelvic osteosarcoma in children. We also emphasize syncope as a unique feature of pulmonary thromboembolism. Accordingly, thromboembolism should be kept in mind as the first manifestation of occult malignancy, even in children.