Summary

Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) can affect many organ systems but usually presents with a systemic illness characterised by malaise, weight loss, myalgia, arthralgia and signs of end-organ damage. Here, we report a case of PAN that presented acutely in a previously well 46-year-old man with visible haematuria and loin pain coinciding with an episode of strenuous exercise. Initially, the patient was thought to have suffered renal trauma, but subsequent investigations revealed intrarenal aneurysms typical of PAN which responded to immunosuppressive therapy. This case illustrates the importance of appropriate imaging for suspected urogenital tract trauma, that a high index of suspicion is required to make the diagnosis and that PAN can present with renal tract bleeding in the absence of obvious systemic features.