Nephrology Experts Evaluate Permanent Kidney Injuries Caused by Motor Vehicle Accident

Case Overview

This case involves a male patient in Massachusetts who suffered injuries following a motor vehicle accident. He was subsequently treated for injuries to his cervical discs, as well as lower back pain. Since the accident, he gradually developed sweating, heart palpitations, and trouble walking. He initially saw a cardiologist, who discovered no cardiac abnormalities. He was then referred to a nephrologist and underwent an ultrasound, where it was discovered that one of his kidneys was significantly smaller than the other. It was alleged that the injuries to his kidney were caused by his involvement in the motor vehicle accident.

Questions to the Nephrology expert and their responses

Do you routinely treat patients similar to the one described in the case?

I am a hypertension specialist and director of our hypertension center and although a nephrologist, my outpatient clinics are dedicated only to the workup and management of patients with hypertension.

What could be some of the potential causes of a shrinking kidney?

He could have had a smaller kidney even prior to the accident. I will also need to know what kind of workup was done to rule out hyperaldosteronism / pheochromocytoma. Were other secondary causes for hypertension worked up in this patient?

Could it be a result of trauma from a motor vehicle accident?

I have had two similar patients who developed hypertension following a car accident but they were both treated surgically with revascularization and were cured. As I stated, this is a rare condition but can occur.

About the expert

This board-certified expert in Internal Medicine and Nephrology has extensive clinical and academic experience. She earned her MD from the UCLA School of Medicine following a BS from the University of California Irvine. The expert completed a Residency in Internal Medicine and a Fellowship in Nephrology at Harvard Medical School. She is a member of numerous professional societies and has published more than 25 articles in peer-reviewed journals. She currently serves as an Attending Nephrologist at three hospitals in the Los Angeles area, as an Associate Professor of Medicine at a medical school in southern California, and as Director of the Hypertension Clinic at a regional medical center.