Acute heart failure due to chronic juxtarenal aortic occlusion in a patient with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome

Abdominal aortic occlusions are rare, but occasionally life threatening. A 48-year-old man was hospitalized due to acute heart failure accompanied by acute kidney injury (AKI). Abdominal ultrasound revealed deteriorating blood flow in the bilateral renal arteries. Subsequent abdominal aortography showed abdominal aortic occlusion just below the right renal artery and an occluded left renal artery. Dilated superior and inferior mesenteric arteries functioning as collateral feeding arteries suggested chronic occlusion. A hypercoagulation workup led to a diagnosis of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS). This case report describes rare chronic juxtarenal abdominal occlusion in a patient with APS.