Acute renal failure, skin rash, and eosinophilia associated with aztreonam

A case of acute renal failure associated with aztreonam therapy is reported. A man, age 70, with infections due to Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloaca was treated for 9 days with aztreonam and presented with a generalized maculopapular rash, fever, eosinophilia, worsening renal function and increased IgE levels and eosinophiluria. Aztreonam was then discontinued and the patient was treated with supportive measures and steroids and his renal failure reversed over the course of 5 days. This appears to be one of the first cases of acute renal failure associated with aztreonam.     

Acute renal failure due to acute pyelonephritis

We report a case of acute renal failure due to acute pyelonephritis with microabscess formation. Despite antibiotic therapy renal function deteriorated, necessitating peritoneal dialysis. Although rare, acute pyelonephritis is an important consideration in the differential diagnosis of acute renal failure, and prompt antibiotic therapy is crucial to insure a favourable outcome.     

Acute renal failure due to acute pyelonephritis

We report a case of biopsy-proved acute pyelonephritis which caused acute renal failure. Despite appropriate antibiotic therapy, recovery of renal function was slow and incomplete. Renal papillary necrosis was an apparent complication, which the patient may have been predisposed to by alcoholism. Although rare, acute pyelonephritis is an important consideration in the differential diagnosis of acute renal failure because of the need for specific therapy.     

Acute renal failure in the course of HIV infection: a single-institution retrospective study of ninety-two patients anad sixty renal biopsies.

BACKGROUND: Acute renal failure syndromes are frequently encountered in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Most reported cases of acute renal failure are related to acute tubular necrosis, but many other causes of renal failure have been described in these patients. METHODS: The present work is a single-institution retrospective study of 92 HIV-infected patients with acute or rapidly progressing renal failure. In 60 cases, a renal biopsy was performed. For each patient we analysed clinical and pathological data, as well as the short-term prognosis. RESULTS: Ten different causes of acute or rapidly progressing renal failure were documented: (i) haemolytic uraemic syndrome (32 patients); (ii) acute tubular necrosis either of ischaemic-toxic origin (18 patients) or due to rhabdomyolysis (six patients); (iii) obstructive renal failure which was either extrinsic (two patients), drug-induced (13 patients) or secondary to paraprotein precipitation (one patient); (iv) HIV-associated nephropathy (14 patients); (v) acute interstitial nephritis (two patients); (vi) various glomerulonephritis (four patients). In most cases, renal failure was severe (the mean creatinine clearance at entry was 12 ml/min). Most patients had a significant improvement in renal function with only symptomatic treatment. Eighteen per cent of the patients died within 2 months of the diagnosis of renal failure. Renal biopsy seems important for the diagnosis but also for the prognosis, at least in the cases of haemolytic-uraemic syndrome, HIV-associated nephropathy and drug-induced micro-obstructive renal failure. CONCLUSION: Vascular and glomerular diseases are frequent causes of acute or rapidly progressing renal failure in HIV-infected patients. Renal biopsy appears to be safe and useful for the diagnosis and the prognosis of the renal failure. High mortality rate is only observed in patients with ischaemic/toxic causes of acute renal failure.     

Post-transplant renal artery stenosis: a cause of anuria. Report of 2 cases corrected by revascularization

We report 2 cases of severe hypertension and acute onset of anuria after renal transplantation in which angiography revealed renal artery stenosis. After renal artery reconstructive surgery renal function returned to normal and the hypertension improved. A high index of suspicion is needed to make the diagnosis. Only by heightened awareness of this important entity will patients with post-transplantation anuria secondary to renal artery stenosis be identified. Such patients may benefit from renal artery revascularization to reverse this type of renal failure.     

Acute bilateral renal cortical necrosis as a cause of postoperative renal failure

Acute renal failure after a major intra-abdominal operation is, unfortunately, not an infrequent occurrence. Acute tubular necrosis, the most common cause of postoperative renal failure, usually follows a predictable clinical course, with most patients recovering full renal function. We describe a patient who developed acute renal failure after orthotopic liver transplantation. Subsequent workup revealed the patient to have acute bilateral renal cortical necrosis. Bilateral renal cortical necrosis is an extremely rare cause of renal failure and an even rarer cause of postoperative renal failure. We discuss the diagnosis and management of this uncommon disorder and review the salient literature. Of the approximately 15 known reported cases involving native kidneys after a major nonobstetric abdominal operation in the world literature, we believe this is the first to be related to an orthotopic organ transplant.     

Acute Renal Failure in Burns

We present the combined experience of a burns unit and a renal dialysis unit in treating acute renal failure in burn injury patients. A total of 28 cases have been treated of whom 4 regained normal renal function. We would like to emphasize the following points which may improve the usually very poor prognosis: early diagnosis, early daily haemodialysis, adequate feeding and the early amputation of non viable limbs. A search of the literature reveals that only 11 previously reported cases of burns injury patients being successfully dialysed for acute renal failure.     

Acute renal failure in neuroleptic malignant syndrome

We report a patient with neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) who developed acute renal failure and was successfully treated by hemodialysis. A 60-year-old man with a 26-year history of schizophrenia had been treated with thioridazine and sulpiride. He was admitted to our hospital for muscular rigidity and oliguria. After the diagnosis of NMS with acute renal failure was established, thioridazine and sulpiride were discontinued and hemodialysis was instituted. Renal function gradually improved and hemodialysis was discontinued after 17th treatment. We also reviewed 57 cases of NMS with acute renal failure reported in the literature. To our knowledge, 26 years is the longest latency between initiation of neuroleptic drug treatment and onset of NMS. Our review of reported NMS cases with acute renal failure identified those risks for poor prognosis as high level of BUN, age and female gender.     

ACUTE RENAL FAILURE IN NEUROLEPTIC MALIGNANT SYNDROME

We report a patient with neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) who developed acute renal failure and was successfully treated by hemodialysis. A 60-year-old man with a 26-year history of schizophrenia had been treated with thioridazine and sulpiride. He was admitted to our hospital for muscular rigidity and oliguria. After the diagnosis of NMS with acute renal failure was established, thioridazine and sulpiride were discontinued and hemodialysis was instituted. Renal function gradually improved and hemodialysis was discontinued after 17th treatment. We also reviewed 57 cases of NMS with acute renal failure reported in the literature. To our knowledge, 26 years is the longest latency between initiation of neuroleptic drug treatment and onset of NMS. Our review of reported NMS cases with acute renal failure identified those risks for poor prognosis as high level of BUN, age and female gender.     

Rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure in a child with influenza A infection

A 13-year-old previously healthy girl developed rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure during influenza A infection. The patient recovered renal function completely with supportive therapy. This complication has been described in adult patients, but progression to acute renal failure in this context has not been reported previously in children. This diagnosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a pediatric patient presenting with acute renal failure and viral symptomatology. Received July 16, 1996; received in revised form and accepted November 6, 1996     

Bilateral emphysematous pyelonephritis with perirenal abscess cured by conservative therapy

Emphysematous pyelonephritis is a rare life-threatening infection of the renal parenchyma. It usually affects unilateral kidney and occurs mostly in diabetic patients. It is characterized by the presence of gas within the renal parenchyma and requires prompt diagnosis and early aggressive therapy. Bilateral emphysematous pyelonephritis is even more rare and is associated with high mortality. We describe a case of a 62-year-old diabetic woman who presented with nonketotic hyperosmolar coma and bilateral emphysematous pyelonephritis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae. Diagnosis of bilateral emphysematous pyelonephritis was confirmed by an abdominal computed tomographic scan and microbiologic studies. Our patient was successfully treated using percutaneous catheter drainage and long-term antibiotic therapy.     

Silent renal microangiography after mitomycin C therapy

Mitomycin C (MMC) is an alkylating agent which has been associated with microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and acute renal failure, with an overall incidence between 2 and 10%. This complication can develop several months after the initiation of chemotherapy. Isolated renal impairment without overt microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, although reported, is less frequently documented. We describe a 63-year-old man who developed progressive renal failure without any evidence of hemolysis or thrombopenia 10 months after beginning chemotherapy with MMC and Ftorafur. A renal biopsy displayed features of microangiopathy. The patient required the institution of chronic hemodialysis. In conclusion, it is important to be aware of this indolent but severe renal complication in patients treated with MMC. Urinary parameters and renal function should be monitored over a long period for an early diagnosis.     

Immune complex glomerulonephritis associated with Klebsiella pneumoniae infection.

The kidneys of three patients who died of pneumonia due to Klebsiella pneumoniae were studied at autopsy by light and immunofluoerescent microscopy. One had no clinical evidence of renal disease; two had only microscopic hematuria and mild proteinuria. Light microscopy revealed focal proliferative glomerulonephritis in all three cases. Also in all three, immunofluorescent microscopy revealed a granular deposition of capsular polysaccharide antigens of Klebsiella pneumoniae in association with immunoglobulins and complement components in the mesangium and along the glomerular basement membrane. Furthermore, the glomerular bound immunoglobulins were eluted and demonstrated to contain antibodies specific to a capsular polysaccharide antigen of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from each patient. These findings may illustrate that the capsular polysaccharides of Klebsiella pneumoniae are antigenic, and that the immune complex deposition in the kidney during infection with this agent can be associated with renal morphological changes. Whether or not clinical evidence of nephritis occurs may depend on the characteristics of the infection and the host factors.     

An unusual case of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis in a leukemia patient

We report a 65-year-old woman with leukemia who presented with urinary tract infection, splenic abscess, and a renal mass. Both urine and pus culture of the splenic abscess yielded Klebsiella pneumoniae. The differential diagnosis of the renal mass by radiological findings included unliquefied renal abscess, xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis, and renal cell carcinoma. Percutaneous biopsy of the renal mass confirmed the diagnosis of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis. Because of high surgical risk, the patient received medical treatment with prolonged antibiotic therapy. With antibiotic therapy only, not only the splenic abscess was cured but also follow-up ultrasonography showed progressive resolution of the renal mass. The occurrence of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis has rarely been reported in the absence of urinary tract obstruction or nephrolithiasis. Furthermore, this is the first report of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis occurring in patients with leukemia and concurrent with splenic abscess. In addition to describing this unusual case, we provide a short review of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis successfully treated with antibiotics only.     

Mannitol-induced acute renal failure

Mannitol is an osmotic diuretic widely used in the diagnosis and prevention of acute oliguric renal failure, acute cerebral edema and acute glaucoma. Mannitol, though ordinarily a benign substance, may accumulate in renal failure with potentially deleterious consequences. Mannitol intoxication is ordinarily characterized by confusion, lethargy, stupor, and if severe enough, coma. The use of mannitol in renal failure has rarely been associated with a worsening of the preexistent renal dysfunction. We report a case of acute oliguric renal failure solely attributable to mannitol administered in the course of therapy for acute glaucoma.     

Host immune status in uremia. V. Effect of uremia on resistance to bacterial infection

Infection is a frequent complication and cause of death in renal failure. Although it is widely accepted that uremia has an adverse effect on host resistance to infectious disease, this association has not been proven. In the present experiments, the relationship between uremia and susceptibility to infection has been investigated using an animal model of chronic, severe uremia. Lung infections (using Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae), bacteremia, peritonitis and subcutaneous infection (using Escherichia coli) were induced in uremic and normal rats and the course of infection compared. The ability of the uremic host to clear Ps. aeruginosa from the lung was marginally impaired in the first 24 hr after the challenge but was normal in the later stages of the infection. Similarly, in the bacteremia study, secondary invasion of the lungs by several other species of bacteria occurred in 33% of the uremic animals. We found no other evidence of impairment of immunity in uremia in the infections that we studied and, taken overall, the results support arguments that uremia per se is unlikely to be an important factor predisposing patients with renal failure to infection.     

Acute renal failure due to mantle cell lymphoma--a case report and discussion of the literature

Acute renal failure secondary to lymphomatous infiltration of the kidneys is a rare manifestation raer mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). We present the case of a 76-year-old gentleman with acute renal failure an a background of previously treated low grade non-hodgkin lymphoma. At the time of presentation he complained only of mild lethargy und had no lymphadenopathy or organomegaly. Renal ultrasound revealed bilaterally enlarged kidneys and renal biopsy confirmed MCL. Mantle cell lymphoma runs an aggressive course and accurate diagnosis is very important in guiding appropriate treatment. This case demonstrates the importance of renal biopsy in the diagnosis of renal lymphomatous infiltration but also highlights the potential utility of histological examination in guiding targeted therapy.     

Acute Post Streptococcal Interstitial Nephritis in an Adult and Review of the Literature

While glomerular lesions are a recognized sequel to infection with group A beta haemolytic streptococci, literature on primary tubular lesions, as remote effects of streptococcal infection, is scanty. A case of interstitial nephritis in a 29-year-old woman following streptococcal sore throat is described. This adult admitted with tonsillitis developed acute renal failure from acute interstitial nephritis and subsequently had full recovery of renal function. Acute interstitial nephritis should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with streptococcal infections who develop acute renal failure.     

Confirmation of the utility of fine needle aspiration biopsy of the renal allograft

Allograft immunobiologic theory would predict that analysis of immunocompetent cells infiltrating the renal transplant would be most instructive. Recently a new aspiration biopsy technique has been developed to permit such analysis in patients which can be safely and repetitively performed. The clinical utility of such a technique has been tested utilizing a randomized prospective trial in which an aspirate was obtained every other day from the third post-operative day until discharge. Analysis included examination of adequacy criteria and the capacity of pathologic diagnosis to corroborate clinical diagnosis from coded specimens. Ninety-six aspirates from 21 consenting transplant recipients were obtained and analyzed. In 94 instances a clinical diagnosis could be made; 80 aspirates fulfilled adequacy criteria. We found the technique to be highly sensitive (greater than or equal to 90%) and highly specific (greater than or equal to 90%) for the clinical diagnoses of acute allograft rejection, post-operative acute renal failure, cyclosporine toxicity, and normal function. We conclude that the fine needle aspiration technique is an important adjunct to analysis of clinical renal transplantation and offers a major advantage to the clinical scholar in understanding transplant biology.     

Acute Renal Failure Complicating Severe Acute Pancreatitis

The records of 563 patients admitted to the hospital with diagnosis of acute pancreatitis have been studied retrospectively. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of acute renal failure (ARF) in these patients, and to evaluate the most important risk factors for ARF development and mortality. The prevalence of ARF in studied population was 14%, but only 3.8% of ARF patients with acute pancreatitis had isolated renal failure. Other patients had additional failure of other organ systems, 68.4% of whom had multiorgan failure (MOF) before the onset of ARF. In only 8.9% of ARF patients was the renal system the first organ system to fail. Patients with ARF were significantly older, had more preexisting chronic diseases (including chronic renal failure), usually had MOF, and local pancreatic complications relative to these in the group with normal renal function. The development of ARF was directly influenced by severity of acute pancreatitis. The mortality rate in ARF patients was 74.7%, compared to an 7.4% mortality of patients with acute pancreatitis and normal renal function. Preexisting chronic disease, the presence of MOF and their number, local pancreatic complications, and older age of the patients increased mortality in ARF patients. The prognosis of patients with oliguric ARF requiring renal replacement therapy was extremely poor, indicating the importance of prevention of ARF in the patients with acute pancreatitis.