Editing Pediatrics: Anomalies of the Kidneys (section)

=== Renal Arteriovenous Fistula ===
* Classified: congenital vs. acquired
** Congenital
*** <25% of all renal arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are congenital.
*** They are identifiable by their cirsoid configuration and multiple communications between the main or segmental renal arteries and venous channels.
*** Although congenital, they rarely present clinically before the third or fourth decade.
*** Females are affected three times as often as males
*** Right kidney is involved slightly more often than the left.
*** The lesion is usually located in the upper pole (45% of cases), but not infrequently it may be found in the mid-portion (30%) or in the lower pole (25%) of the kidney.
** Acquired
*** Results from a congenital aneurysm eroding into an adjacent vein
* Often requires surgical intervention