Journal of Sports Medicine & Doping Studies

Renal Artery Thrombosis in a Bodybuilder using Anabolic Steroid - Case Report

Abstract

Magdalena Nalewajska, Małgorzata Marchelek-Mysliwie, Jaroslaw Przybycinski and Kazimierz Ciechanowski

Acute renal infarction (ARI) is a rare condition associated with poor prognosis in most cases. Due to non-specific clinical symptoms and abnormalities in lab results, as well as equivocal results of imagining scans, diagnosis of ARI is often delayed. Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) intake in contribution to heavy weight-lifting workout are among the risk factors for hypercoagulable state. AAS are responsible for a number of haemostatic defects, including higher platelet number, enhanced platelet aggregation, increased synthesis of procoagulant factors and impaired fibrinolysis. Increasing number of AAS intake among amateur and professional athletes observed in recent years require consideration of these drugs as possible cause for thrombotic events in young patients. Yet, only few case studies have been published describing an occurrence of venous or artery thrombosis in athletes who had been using anabolic steroids. In this case report, authors present a case of right renal artery thrombosis in a 34-old bodybuilder who had been using unknown anabolic steroids to increase his performance. Due to bleeding complications after selective intra-arterial thrombolysis treatment, he required urgent nephrectomy and was released from hospital with significantly elevated azotemia parameters. This highlights the importance of careful medical history being taken with respect to AAS and illicit drug abuse for the prevention and fast, accurate diagnosis of thrombotic episodes in young athletic patients.