Acute renal failure due to intrinsic renal diseases: review of 1122 cases

Abstract

In this study we have analyzed incidence, causes and clinical course of ARF due to primary intrarenal disease other than acute tubular necrosis. Thousand hundred and twenty two cases of ARF of diverse etiology were studied over a period of 16 years; July 1984 to Dec, 1999. Surgical ARF 231 (20.6%) were not included in the present study. Intrinsic renal diseases were responsible for ARF in 891 (79.4%) of cases. The most common intrinsic renal diseases 705 (79.4%) causing ARF were ischemic/toxic acute tubular necrosis, but not included in this study. Acute renal failure was related to acute glomerulonephritis (9.3%), acute interstitial nephritis (7%), and renal cortical necrosis in (4.6%) of cases. Therefore intrinsic renal diseases other than ATN were the causative factor for acute renal failure in 186 (20.8%) patients in our study. Crescentic (51.8%) and endocapillary proliferative glomerulonephritis (34.9%), were the main glomerular diseases responsible for ARF and 75.9% of GN was related to infectious etiology. Fifty three percent of acute interstitial nephritis was drug induced and in 25 (40%) patients it was related to an infectious etiology. Renal cortical necrosis due to HUS was observed in 16 (39%) children and majority (76.47%) of the cases had a diarrhoeal prodrome. Obstetrical complications were the main causes (61%) of cortical necrosis in adults with acute renal failure. Thus, intrinsic renal diseases other than ATN were responsible for ARF in 186 (20.8%) cases. Post-infectious glomerulonephritis, acute interstitial nephritis and renal cortical necrosis (complicating HUS in children and obstetrical complications in adult) are the main causes of acute renal failure in our study. Both acute GN and interstitial nephritis had excellent prognosis, however renal cortical necrosis was associated with a very high mortality.