[Renal failure and rickets].

Acute renal failure secondary to interstitial nephritis caused by therapeutic ingestion of sodium diphenylhydantoins has been reported recently. The interference of sodium diphenylhydantoins on Vitamin D metabolism causing or aggravating ricketts has also been reported. This communication deals with an infant girl who was admitted to the hospital due to seizures. Four months before, she had convulsions and she was treated with diphenylhydantoins until admission. She was found to have renal failure and ricketts. Histological diagnosis of interstitial nephritis was established by means of percutaneous renal biopsy. Clinical and radiological improvement of ricketts was observed after dehydrotachysterol treatment. Clinical and biochemical alterations of renal failure slowly subsided. She had a clear-cut history of vitamin D defficiency ricketts. Seizures were due to hypocalcemia tetany but was erroneusly treated as "grand mal" epilepsy, with diphenylhydantoins. Interstitial nephritis complicated with acute renal failure was probably caused by diphenylhydantoins administration.