An unusual case of a patient who lost his native kidneys and renal allograft from cholesterol crystal emboli

Cholesterol crystal emboli (CCE) syndrome involving native kidneys is an underdiagnosed condition. CCE is rare in renal allografts. It may present with acute kidney injury, but usually not acute graft loss. CCE should be considered in patients with a history of atherosclerosis and an invasive arterial procedure who present with acute or chronic renal allograft dysfunction. Therapy for CCE is mainly supportive and carries a high rate of mortality. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a patient who lost his native kidneys and renal allograft due to CCE arising from his own vasculature.