World Thrombosis Day Article: Renal Vein Thrombosis

Renal vein thrombosis is a blood clot that occurs in the veins draining blood from the kidneys. A blood clot in the renal vein will impact kidney function because it slows the flow of blood from the kidney and can reduce the kidneys’ ability to do the work of cleaning and filtering the blood. This can cause pain as well as affect kidney function.

Renal vein thrombosis is treated with a therapeutic dose of anticoagulation. Renal function must be checked before starting treatment to ensure the correct anticoagulant drug and dose is used at diagnosis to allow the clot to resolve, maintain kidney function, and reduce pain.

Men are twice as likely to suffer from renal vein thrombosis as women, although the reasons for this are largely unknown. It is more common in people over the age of 40.