What do renal infarcts look like on CT and MRI, and what are some causes of renal infarction?
Renal infarcts appear as peripheral, often wedge-shaped, areas of nonenhancement in the renal parenchyma and are often multiple. A thin enhancing rim of cortical enhancement (i.e., the “cortical rim” sign) is typically seen in renal infarcts secondary to perfusion of the renal cortex by the renal capsular arteries.
Some causes of renal infarction include traumatic renal injury, renal artery embolism, renal artery dissection, renal vein thrombosis, and vasculitis.