Symptoms:

AERD may not cause any symptoms. If there are symptoms, they may begin suddenly, or slowly get worse over weeks or even months. Symptoms may include:

• Blindness
• Blood in the urine (rare)
• Fever, muscle aches, headaches, and weight loss
• Flank (sides of the body) pain
• Foot pain, sores on the feet, or blue toes
• High blood pressure that is hard to control
• Pain in the abdomen, nausea, or vomiting

Kidney failure may result in:

• Decrease in sensation (feeling)
• Decreased or no urine output
• Drowsiness, confusion, lethargy
• Dry itchy skin
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea or vomiting
• Skin color changes
• Swelling of the legs
• Weight loss

Signs and tests:

The doctor will perform a physical exam. Swelling can start in the legs, but may affect the whole body. An eye exam may show particles in the small arteries of the retina.

The doctor will listen to your lungs, heart, and large blood vessels with a stethoscope. Abnormal sounds may be heard. For example, a loud whooshing sound called a bruit may be heard over the aorta or renal artery.

Blood pressure may be high. There may be many ulcers on the skin of the lower feet.

Tests that may be done include:

• Abdominal CT scan
• Abdominal MRI
• Abdominal x-ray
• Complete blood count
• Comprehensive metabolic panel (includes the kidney function tests BUN and creatinine)
• Kidney biopsy
• Kidney or abdominal ultrasound
• Renal arteriography
• Serum complement
• Serum lipids
• Urinalysis