Renal cortical necrosis (RCN) is a relatively rare cause of acute renal failure. In the past, the incidence of RCN was more higher in obstetrical patients than in non-obstetric patients. But during the last 15 years, the prevalence of RCN in non-obstetric patients have overwhelmed the obstetrical patients. Renal biopsy was an only gold standard diagnostic method for RCN in the past even though it was not performed frequently because of the serious clinical circumstances and coagulopathy generally accompanied by RCN, especially during the early period. Recently, contrast-enhanced computerized tomography was found to provide very characteristic representative findings. Therefore, the importance of contrast-enhanced computerized tomography as non-invasive diagnostic procedure during the initial phase of RCN is stressed. We report two cases of RCN which we have diagnosed early by using contrast-enhanced computerized tomography and treated by hemodialysis.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Biopsy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney Cortex Necrosis* ; Prevalence ; Renal Dialysis

Acute renal cortical necrosis in which there is destruction of the renal cortex and sparing of the renalmedulla, is a relatively rare cause of acute renal failure. A definitive diagnosis of acute renal corticalnecrosis is based on renal biopsy, but on CT(computed tomography) the rather specific contrast-enhanced appearance of acute renal cortical necrosis has been described. As renal biopsy is not available, contrast-enhanced CT is auseful, noninvasive investigate modality for the early diagnosis of acute renal cortical necrosis. We report the characteristic CT findings of acute renal cortical necrosis in a patient with acute renal failure following anoperation for abdominal trauma.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Kidney Cortex Necrosis* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

Kidney cortex necrosis is a relatively rare cause of acute kidney injury and is characterized by complete or partial destruction of the renal cortex, but sparing of the medulla. Tranexamic acid has antifibrinolytic activity and is used to reduce bleeding. We report a rare case of kidney cortex necrosis caused by tranexamic acid. A 49-year-old woman complained of coughing up blood-tinged sputum. She had a history of bronchiectasis and was treated with tranexamic acid for 3 days. Four days after admission, she developed anuria and azotemia. Computerized tomography showed enhancement of the renal medulla, but not the bilateral renal cortex. The patient was treated with hemodialysis, and has since been maintained on hemodialysis for 6 months. Due to the development of kidney cortex necrosis in patients treated with tranexamic acid, all its potential complications should be considered.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Anuria ; Azotemia ; Bronchiectasis ; Cough ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Cortex ; Kidney Cortex Necrosis ; Middle Aged ; Renal Dialysis ; Sputum ; Tranexamic Acid

Kidney cortex necrosis is a relatively rare cause of acute kidney injury and is characterized by complete or partial destruction of the renal cortex, but sparing of the medulla. Tranexamic acid has antifibrinolytic activity and is used to reduce bleeding. We report a rare case of kidney cortex necrosis caused by tranexamic acid. A 49-year-old woman complained of coughing up blood-tinged sputum. She had a history of bronchiectasis and was treated with tranexamic acid for 3 days. Four days after admission, she developed anuria and azotemia. Computerized tomography showed enhancement of the renal medulla, but not the bilateral renal cortex. The patient was treated with hemodialysis, and has since been maintained on hemodialysis for 6 months. Due to the development of kidney cortex necrosis in patients treated with tranexamic acid, all its potential complications should be considered.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Anuria ; Azotemia ; Bronchiectasis ; Cough ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Cortex ; Kidney Cortex Necrosis ; Middle Aged ; Renal Dialysis ; Sputum ; Tranexamic Acid

Acute cortical necrosis is a rare cause of the acute renal failure. It is frequently associated with complications of pregnancy. The renal biopsy is the key of diagnosis of these disease. However, the contrast enhanced CT scan can be a tool for the diagnosis of acute renal cortical necrosis, because of its noninvasiveness and constant findings(enhancement of subcapsular rim, nonenhancement of the renal cortex, enhancement of medulla, and lack of excretion of contrast media to the collecting system). This is a case of acute renal cortical necrosis diagnosed by CT scan. She had an anuria for 16 days and feature of hemolytic uremic syndrome and polycystic kidney.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Anuria ; Biopsy ; Contrast Media ; Diagnosis ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome ; Humans ; Kidney Cortex Necrosis ; Necrosis* ; Polycystic Kidney Diseases* ; Pregnancy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Renal cortical necrosis (RCN) is a rare cause of acute renal failure in which there is a complete or partial destruction of the renal cortex with sparing of the medulla. We report here a case of acute bilateral RCN associated with intra-abdominal operation. A 70-year-old female patient was admitted to our hospital because of abdominal pain secondary to perforated diverticulits in sigmoid colon. A segmental resection of the sigmoid colon and end-to-end anastomosis was performed on the third hospital day. Two days later, she suddenly developed oligo-anuria and she was treated with hemodialysis. A contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography scan showed lack of enhancement of the renal cortex with enhancement of the renal medulla. On the 21th hospital day, renal biopsy was done and microscopic examination of the specimen revealed RCN. Since then, she has been on regular hemodialysis for over six months with no signs of renal recovery. Occult sepsis associated with peritonitis and intra-abdominal operation seems to be the most possible etiologic factor of RCN in our patient.
Abdominal Pain ; Acute Kidney Injury ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Cortex Necrosis ; Peritonitis ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Sepsis

PURPOSE: Acute tubular necrosis (ATN) is a serious complication in critically ill patients. This study investigated the renal outcome of severe ATN requiring RRT and prognostic factors for renal recovery. METHODS: Between January 2000 and May 2008, surviving patients with presumed ATN requiring dialysis were analyzed retrospectively. Patients with pre-existing chronic kidney disease and other causes of ARF rather than ATN were excluded. Primary outcomes were complete renal recovery (CR) and dialysis withdrawal. CR was defined as a return to basal serum creatinine level or creatinine <1.5 mg/dL (male) or <1.3 mg/dL (female) without dialysis. RESULTS: Of one hundred twenty two patients, 79 (65%) patients were male. The mean age was 54+/-16 years and 87 patients (71%) received continuous renal replacement therapy. 55% had ischemic ATN, 29% had septic ATN, and 16% had nephrotoxic ATN. Mean duration of dialysis was 12 (6-29) days. Dialysis withdrawal rate at 30 days and at 60 days after initiation of dialysis were 51% and 77 %, respectively. CR at 60 days after initiation was 50%. Multivariate analysis revealed that older age (per year, Hazard ratio (HR)=0.981, 95% Confidence interval (CI) 0.963 to 0.999), ischemic ATN (vs. toxic ATN, HR=0.481, 95% CI 0.238 to 0.974),and longer duration of oliguria (per day, HR=0.979, 95 % CI 0.962 to 0.996) were independent prognostic factors of renal recovery. CONCLUSION: Young age and short duration of oliguria were favorable factors for renal recovery from ATN requiring dialysis. The cause of ATN might be also an independent prognostic factor.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Creatinine ; Critical Illness ; Dialysis ; Humans ; Kidney Cortex Necrosis ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Necrosis ; Oliguria ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Renal Replacement Therapy ; Retrospective Studies

The renal cortical necrosis occurs in approximately 2% of adult patients with acute renal failure. The causes of renal cortical necrosis were usually associated with obstetrical problems. However, the distinctive changes occurred over the past 15 years in the etiology with a high incidence of non-obstetric causes than obstetric ones. We experienced a rare case of diffuse bilateral renal cortical necrosis in 16-year-old man who had a history of glue sniffing. To our knowledge, this is the first report in our country. A 16-year-old man was admitted with vague flank pain and oliguria. There was history of frequent adhesive glue sniffing. Laboratory data were as follows : BUN 77mg/dL, creatinine, 9.3mg/dL, protein 3+, RBC many/HPF, WBC 1-4/HPF in urinalysis, HBsAg(-), Anti-HBs(+), C(3)10.5mg/dL, C(4)7.4mg/dL), IgG 1,865mg/mL, IgA 512mg/mL. The kindey size was normal in ultrasonography. Renal cortex was diffusely not enhanced in MIJ Tl weighted image. Diffuse bilateral renal cortical necrosis was diagnosed by renal biopsy. In this case, adhesive glue sniffing may be a cause of acute cortieal necrosis.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Adhesives* ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Biopsy ; Creatinine ; Flank Pain ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; Immunoglobulin G ; Incidence ; Inhalant Abuse* ; Kidney Cortex Necrosis ; Necrosis* ; Oliguria ; Ultrasonography ; Urinalysis

Acute bilateral renal cortical necrosis (BRCN) is a rare cause of renal failure. It has been reported that contrast-enhanced computed tomography provides characteristic findings of BRCN which correlates well with the histopathology making it an important non-invasive diagnostic modality during early phase of BRCN, improving survival rate and prognosis with early diagnosis and treatment. This report presents a case of 73-year old woman with BRCN due to hemolytic uremic syndrome. The patient recovered from anuria and showed complete recovery to normal renal function of her age and serum creatinine level after early initiation of hemodialysis. Furthermore, a normal radiologic finding of kidney was obtained after 52 days from onset of the disease by contrast-enhanced computed tomography. At present, she is preserved within the normal range renal function without renal replacement therapy.
Anuria ; Creatinine ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Cortex Necrosis ; Prognosis ; Reference Values ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Survival Rate

Acute renal failure can be the result of acute renal cortical necrosis (RCN), which commonly occurs from complications occurring during pregnancy. RCN is rarely caused by medications, although tranexamic acid, which is used in patients with acute bleeding for its antifibrinolytic effects, reportedly causes acute RCN in rare cases. An 82-year-old woman experienced gastrointestinal bleeding after endoscopic papillectomy of an ampullary adenoma. The bleeding was controlled with tranexamic acid administration; however, 4 days later, her urine volume decreased and she developed pulmonary edema and dyspnea. Serum creatinine levels increased from 0.8 to 3.9 mg/dL and dialysis was performed. Abdominal pelvic computed tomography with contrast enhancement revealed bilateral RCN with no renal cortex enhancement. Renal dysfunction and oliguria persisted and hemodialysis was continued. Clinicians must be aware that acute RCN can occur after tranexamic acid administration to control bleeding.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Adenoma ; Aged, 80 and over ; Creatinine ; Dialysis ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Kidney Cortex Necrosis* ; Oliguria ; Pregnancy ; Pulmonary Edema ; Renal Dialysis ; Tranexamic Acid