Acute renal failure as initial presentation of visceral leishmaniasis in an HIV-1-infected patient.

We report the case of an HIV-infected patient who presented with acute renal failure due to visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Although renal failure is the leading cause of death in dogs, the natural reservoir of Leishmania infantum, renal involvement is usually absent in human VL. However, L. infantum can be considered a cause of renal failure in HIV-infected patients.