Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the association of vascular calcification and renal artery stenosis on CT angiogram (CTA) obtained before transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with postprocedure acute kidney injury (AKI).
Materials and methods: In this single-center retrospective cohort study, 106 pre-TAVR CTAs were evaluated by two independent blinded readers. Renal artery stenosis was visually graded as less than 50% or greater than or equal to 50% luminal narrowing. Calcification of the aorta and iliac arteries was scored from 0 (no calcification) to 3 (severe calcification) and was summed to develop a calcification score. Univariate comparisons between patients who did and did not develop AKI were made for radiologic measurements. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess association of renal artery stenosis and atherosclerotic calcification with post-TAVR AKI.
Results: Post-TAVR AKI occurred in 20 of 106 patients. Subjects with bilateral main renal artery stenosis greater than or equal to 50% had significantly greater odds (odds ratio, 4.84; 95% CI, 1.41-16.54; p = 0.01) of developing post-TAVR AKI than did subjects with unilateral or no stenosis greater than or equal to 50% in the main renal arteries. Subjects who developed post-TAVR AKI had significantly higher aortic and iliac arterial calcification scores compared with subjects who did not develop post-TAVR AKI (mean ± SD, 21.4 ± 5.6 vs 17.9 ± 6.7; p = 0.04).
Conclusion: AKI as a complication of TAVR is more likely to develop in patients with bilateral renal artery stenosis greater than or equal to 50% or severe atherosclerotic calcification of the aorta and iliac arteries.
Keywords: CT angiogram; acute kidney injury; atherosclerosis; renal artery stenosis; transcatheter aortic valve replacement.