Reversible acute renal failure due to sulfonamide-induced lithiasis in an AIDS patient.

OBJECTIVE

Drug-induced lithiasis was well-known some years ago, when sulfonamides poorly soluble in urine were in use. Now, they are again in use for some opportunistic AIDS-related infections. We report herein the case of an AIDS patient, treated with sulfadiazine because of Nocardia pneumonia, that came to the emergency room in acute renal failure.

METHODS/

RESULTS

Obstructive uropathy due to radiolucent calculi was suspected and retrograde ureteral catheterization was necessary. The calculi recovered were identified as N-acetyl sulfadiazine by infrared spectrophotometry.

CONCLUSION

Rapid improvement can be achieved in these patients when the drug is discontinued or decrease and systemic fluid and urine alkalinization are started.