Lesions of the dorsal renal artery in surgery for renal pelvic calculus. A potential cause of renovascular hypertension.

2 cases of lesions of the dorsal renal artery in surgery for renal pelvic calculus are described. In 1 of the cases hypertension developed. Anatomic factors and previous operations predispose to this complication. An arterial complication should be suspected when hypertension develops postoperatively. The blood pressure of patients with known renal vascular complications should be checked repeatedly for several months postoperatively. The diagnosis is radiological, renal angiography being the definite procedure although a reduction of kidney size observed at urography may indicate the vascular lesion.