Influenza A-associated rhabdomyolysis with acute renal failure

Rhabdomyolysis induced acute renal failure as a rare complication of influenza A infection has been mainly described in adults. Consideration of this potentially life-threatening complication in pediatric patients presenting with influenza is important as clinical symptoms may be unspecific and early diagnosis leading to prompt treatment is essential to decrease associated morbidity and mortality. We report a 9 year old girl who developed severe rhabdomyolysis with myoglobinuric renal failure associated with influenza A virus infection. Receiving supportive therapy including intensive care management the patient recovered renal function completely.     

Inhaled tobramycin-associated hearing loss in an adolescent with renal failure

Tobramycin for inhalation is a mainstay of therapy for cystic fibrosis. Routine monitoring of serum concentrations is not performed for patients receiving tobramycin by this route. This is a case of an adolescent with cystic fibrosis, renal failure and a serum concentration of 13.4 mg/dL who was diagnosed with profound sensorineural hearing loss after 3 weeks of inhaled tobramycin therapy.     

Liver transplantation in an adolescent with acute liver failure from acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The most common identifiable causes of acute liver failure in pediatric patients are infection, drug toxicity, metabolic disease, and autoimmune processes. In many cases, the etiology of acute liver failure cannot be determined. Acute leukemia is an extremely rare cause of acute liver failure, and liver transplantation has traditionally been contraindicated in this setting. We report a case of acute liver failure in a previously healthy 15‐yr‐old male from pre‐B‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He underwent liver transplantation before the diagnosis was established, and has subsequently received chemotherapy for pre‐B‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He is currently alive 31 months post‐transplantation. The published literature describing acute lymphoblastic leukemia as a cause of acute liver failure is reviewed.     

Hyponatremia-associated rhabdomyolysis following exercise in an adolescent with cystic fibrosis

Adolescents with well-controlled cystic fibrosis, including good lung function and appropriate growth, commonly participate in competitive athletic activities. We present the case of an adolescent male with cystic fibrosis, hyponatremia, dehydration, and rhabdomyolysis after participating in football practice on a summer morning. The patient presented with severe myalgia and serum sodium of 129 mmol/L, chloride 90 mmol/L, and creatine phosphokinase 1146 U/L. Aggressive hydration with intravenous 0.9% saline resulted in clinical improvement with no renal or muscular sequelae. Health care providers need to educate patients with cystic fibrosis about maintaining adequate hydration and sodium repletion during exercise. Research is needed regarding the appropriate amount and composition of oral rehydration fluids in exercising individuals with cystic fibrosis, as the physiology encountered in these patients provides a unique challenge to maintaining electrolyte balance and stimulation of thirst.     

Massive honey bee envenomation-induced rhabdomyolysis in an adolescent

Massive envenomations by honey bees are capable of causing multiorgan dysfunction as a result of the direct toxic effects of the large venom load received. Although all varieties of honey bee have the potential for these attacks, the Africanized honey bee (Apis mellifera scutellata) is the most commonly implicated subspecies. In the United States, the Africanized strain is found primarily in the southwestern states and is known for its highly defensive behavior if disturbed. Mechanisms behind the multiorgan dysfunction produced by these mass envenomations are not clearly understood. We present a case of a 13-year-old male who was stung by approximately 700 honey bees and developed progressive upper-body swelling and systemic manifestations of mass envenomation including rhabdomyolysis, renal insufficiency, and a transient transaminase elevation.     

Severe reversible renal failure due to naproxen-associated acute interstitial nephritis

Acute interstitial nephritis is uncommon in children and has very rarely been described with naproxen treatment. We report the occurrence of severe acute renal failure in a 10-year-old girl with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis after 1 month of naproxen therapy. Renal biopsy showed severe acute interstitial nephritis. The patient recovered completely after discontinuation of naproxen and administration of methylprednisolone. A review of the literature regarding non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-associated acute interstitial nephritis is provided. CONCLUSION: In an era of increasing popularity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for use in children, paediatricians should be aware of the potential renal complications of this class of drugs.     

Acute renal failure due to rhabdomyolysis in a child with McArdle disease

Rhabdomyolysis induced acute renal failure (ARF) is relatively rare in children. We report an 8-year-old boy with McArdle disease and rhabdomyolysis induced ARF after heavy muscle work. Physical examination revealed generalized tenderness on his extremities. Laboratory examinations showed acute renal failure due to myoglobinuria and revealed alanine transaminase 428 U/l, aspartate transaminase 1,400 U/l, blood urea nitrogen 119 mg/dl, creatinin 3.6 mg/dl, uric acid 13 mg/dl, and serum creatinine kinase (CK) 33,766 U/l. Hemodialysis was carried out for ARF. His clinical and laboratory findings improved and became normal in 2 weeks. Enzymatic analysis of the muscle biopsy showed a phosphorylase A level of 129 nmol/s/mg protein (normal: 200-600) and a phosphorylase A+B level of 385 nmol/s/mg protein (normal: 500-1500), which was compatible with glycogenosis type V. As McArdle disease rarely becomes symptomatic and ARF secondary to this condition is very rare, our case represents a rare clinical presentation.     

Severe hypertension due to renal polar artery stenosis in an adolescent treated with coil embolization

A 12-year-old boy presented with severe arterial hypertension due to a severe subsegmental renal artery stenosis. Treatment consisted of selective embolization of the stenosed polar artery, which resulted in near normalization of the arterial pressures. Renal artery stenosis should always be considered, even in young adolescents, as a cause for arterial hypertension. Only selective angiography was able to demonstrate the subsegmental artery stenosis in this patient.     

Moderate renal failure in association with prolonged acquired hypothyroidism in children

We evaluated five children with prolonged primary hypothyroidism and noted a significant reduction in renal function (40%), which was reversible with hormonal replacement. This decline was higher than reported in adults and was of sufficient magnitude to warrant altering drug-dosing schedules. Furthermore, patients with moderately reduced renal function should be carefully evaluated for signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism.     

Acute renal failure due to atraumatic rhabdomyolysis in coma diabeticum

A case report of a twelve year old boy with coma diabeticum and atraumatic rhabdomyolysis is presented. At admission the patient was comatose. Hyperglycemia and hyperosmolarity were the main metabolic disorders. 32 hours after admission marked myoglobinuria due to atraumatic rhabdomyolysis led to acute renal failure. At first uremia was compensated by arteriovenous hemofiltration and later by conventional hemodialysis. During the sixth week after admission urinary output started and serum creatinine and urea levels gradually declined to normal. Special attention should be paid to atraumatic rhabdomyolysis in patients with coma diabeticum. Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration is an effective extracorporal therapeutic technique to compensate uremia in critically ill patients.     

Continuous renal prosthetic therapy in acute renal failure: an overview

The technology surrounding the treatment of acute renal failure has been traditionally left in the realm of dialysis. The use of peritoneal dialysis for the neonate or small infant and the often difficult use of hemodialysis in larger children and adolescents have been the mainstay of support. Not infrequently, however, the multisystem nature of the failure demonstrated by these patients made either form of therapy at best inadequate. The morbidity of the procedure would add to the already high morbidity of the disease and the patient would either be unable to receive the needed medications because of necessary fluid restrictions, or be subjected to severe hemodynamic or respiratory embarrassment due to the treatment methods themselves. It is precisely toward this patient population that the continuous forms of renal replacement therapy, reviewed herein, are directed.     

Severe colonic diverticulitis in an adolescent with Williams syndrome

Williams Syndrome (WS) is a condition with multisystemic involvement caused by a genetic deletion in chromosome 7. Colonic diverticulosis has been described in adults with WS; however, it has not previously been reported in adolescents with WS. We report an adolescent boy with WS who developed complicated colonic diverticulitis and briefly review the possible aetiology of diverticular disease.     

Severe metformin intoxication with lactic acidosis in an adolescent

A 15-year-old healthy girl ingested 38.25 g (0.55 g/kg body weight) of metformin in a suicide attempt. Subsequently she developed lactic acidosis and moderate renal failure. An initial session of haemodialysis was able to treat the acidosis and reduce the toxic level of metformin. Nevertheless, a further increase in serum lactate was observed during and after the first dialysis treatment. A second session of haemodialysis was started 5 h after the end of the first session and resulted in a lowering of the lactate level and an almost total elimination of metformin. During the further clinical course, reversible acute renal failure with a maximum creatinine of 2.4 mg/dl was observed. Conclusion: Despite sufficient haemodialysis, the production of lactate can be greater than the elimination in the case of severe metformin intoxication. Therefore haemodialysis should be continued even in the situation of rising lactate levels during the treatment.