Research Information System
RENAL FAILURE, vol.29, no.5, pp.639-646, 2007 (SCI-Expanded)
Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RF) is a clinical entity characterized by the progressive proliferation of connective tissue that rarely forms a mass involving the periaortic area of the abdomen, which may be idiopathic as well as a result of an inflammatory process after aneurysmal dilatation of the aorta.([1]) This fibrotic tissue may cover both aorta and iliac arteries, reach the retroperitoneurn and surrounding ureters, and cause serious obstructions and renal insufficiency in three-quarters of patients.([2]) Most of the patients are known to have atherosclerosis and local inflammation against the antigens of the plaques.([3]) A systemic autommume disease presenting with retroperitoneal fibrosis seems to be pronounced more frequently nowadays because of the elevated acute-phase reactant levels, positive autoantibodies, and concurrent autoimmune diseases affecting other organs in majority of the diagnosed patients.([4,5]) Ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and retroperitoneal biopsy are useful in diagnosing and assessing the full extent of the disease.([6]) Surgical interventions such as ureterolysis and aneurysm repair are frequently performed, but medical therapy including steroids and immunosuppressants is often needed because of the inflammatory and chronic-relapsing nature of the disease.([7]) In this paper, we described two cases diagnosed with RF secondary to hemilaminectomy and hypothyroidism, and we summarized the literature related to RF.