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Nephrol Dial Transplant (1999) 14: 2216-2218
© 1999 European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association

Case Reports

Hypokalaemia-induced acute renal failure

Solomon A. Menahem1, Gregory J. Perry1, John Dowling2 and Napier M. Thomson1

1 Department of Renal Medicine and 2 Department of Anatomical Pathology, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia

Correspondence and offprint requests to: Dr Gregory J. Perry, Department of Renal Medicine, Alfred Hospital, Commercial Rd, Prahran, Victoria 3181, Australia.

Keywords: acute renal failure; chronic diarrhoea; hypokalaemia; laxative abuse



   Introduction
 
Chronic hypokalaemia is encountered in a variety of clinical settings. These include chronic diarrhoea resulting from inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal infection or laxative abuse. Alternatively `renal' wasting of potassium causing chronic hypokalaemia can arise from primary or secondary hyperaldosteronism, diuretic use or abuse and primary tubular disorders such as Bartter's syndrome.

Potassium deficiency alters the function of several organs and most predominantly affects the cardiovascular system, neurological system, muscles and kidneys [1]. Cardiac complications of prolonged hypokalaemia include ventricular arrhythmias and hypertension. Neuromuscular manifestations include muscle weakness and cramps as well as an increased incidence of rhabdomyolysis. The described renal lesions associated with chronic hypokalaemia include: proximal tubular vacuolization accompanied by nephrogenic diabetes insipidus [2], interstitial nephritis accompanied by varying degrees of renal impairment [3,4] and an increased incidence of simple renal cysts [5]. We report a case of reversible . . . [Full Text of this Article]



   Case
 
Renal biopsy findings
Progress


   Discussion
 


   References
 

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