Renal Angiomyolipoma
Renal Angiomyolipoma
Renal angiomyolipoma, or “AML” for short, is a type of benign kidney tumor. This tumor does
not usually cause symptoms, and might be incidentally detected during imaging evaluations for
other medical issues. While smaller AMLs may be managed with observation alone, some
tumors steadily grow larger or are very large when detected, and may require treatment.
What Is Renal Angiomyolipoma?
Renal angiomyolipoma (AML) is a noncancerous kidney tumor. The tumor is made up of abnormal blood vessels (angio), muscle cells (myo), and fat (lipo). The suffix “oma” is commonly used in medicine to mean “tumor”. Thus, angiomyolipoma means a tumor made of blood vessels, muscle cells, and fat. Although benign, AML can cause serious complications like bleeding.
Signs & Symptoms
Often, renal AMLs do not manifest any symptoms and are found during routine kidney examinations. When symptoms do occur, they may include:
- Anemia
- Abdominal or flank discomfort
- Blood in the urine
- High blood pressure
- Kidney failure
- Palpable Abdominal Mass
- Urinary Infection
Larger AMLs have been shown to be more likely to cause bleeding, which occurs at the site of the tumor itself. This can cause pain, and in some cases rapid blood loss.
Associated Health Conditions
Renal AMLs may be linked with several other conditions, including:
- Lymphangioleiomyomatosis
- Neurofibromatosis type 1
- Tuberous sclerosis complex
- von Hippel-Lindau disease
Prevalence of Renal Angiomyolipoma
Renal angiomyolipomas (AMLs) are the most common type of benign renal tumor, affecting between 0.2 to 0.6% of the population. They tend to occur more commonly in females than males, possibly due to hormonal effects.
- REFERENCE: Renal Angiomyolipoma
Diagnosis and Assessment Detection
Renal angiomyolipomas are usually identified by chance through diagnostic imaging during assessments for unrelated conditions or specific screenings for associated diseases.
Imaging techniques used include:
- CT scans
- MRI
- Ultrasound
Occasionally, a biopsy might be performed to determine the nature of the tumor, but in many cases the imaging characteristics alone are sufficient to make the diagnosis.
Why Choose Vascular & Interventional Partners?
Our interventional radiologists have been specially trained to perform a Renal Angiomyolipoma Embolization. Our physicians participate in academic research and large patient registries to study the outcomes of these procedures. Our expert doctors also train future physicians on how to perform the procedure safely and effectively.
At our private practice in Scottsdale, AZ, we make sure to be at the forefront of the latest innovations in interventional radiology to offer our patients the best care possible. To learn more about interventional radiology procedures for portal hypertension and how you can get treated at our facility, contact or call us today at (480) 435-9100.
