A Study of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate in Patients Undergoing Diagnostic or Interventional Coronary Contrast Procedures.

Introduction: Angiographic procedures are underused in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), who present with acute coronary syndromes, due to risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI). In this study, we assessed the change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) over 3 months following coronary procedures in CKD patients. Methods: This observational study was done from July 2017 to January 2019 in patients undergoing elective coronary procedures with an eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. CKD-EPI equation was used to calculate eGFR pre and post coronary procedure at 24, 48, and 72 hours as well as 30, 90 days. AKI was diagnosed and patients were given prophylaxis for CI-AKI as per KDIGO recommendation (intravenous normal saline and oral N-acetyl cysteine). Results: Patients studied were 282 (225 males, 57 females) of which 68.1% were diabetics. Mean eGFR was 42.91 ± 10.51 mL/min/1.73 m2 and mean hemoglobin was 12.08 ± 1.51 gm/dL. Coronary angiogram (CAG) was done in 174; percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was done in 108. Mean contrast volume in CAG was 55.17 ± 34.45 mL and in PTCA was 156.94±±47.99 mL. CI-AKI was seen in 66 (23.4%) patients. The incidence of CI-AKI increased with severity of underlying CKD. The variability of eGFR at 1 and 3 months after coronary procedures showed no significant change from baseline, even in the patients who developed CI-AKI. Conclusions: CI-AKI is self-limiting and has no major detrimental effects on eGFR at 1 and 3 months after contrast exposure.

Ileal Tuberculosis Causing Hypercalcemia and Renal Failure.

Hypercalcemia rarely causes acute pancreatitis due to secretory block in the pancreas and damage by accumulated proteases. Hypercalcemia, though described in granulomatous disorders, is uncommon in tuberculosis. Acute kidney injury is known to occur with acute pancreatitis, secondary to sepsis and septic shock; however, acute pancreatitis resulting in acute cortical necrosis is very rare. We report a 22-year-old woman, who presented with pain abdomen and vomiting. She was found to have features of acute pancreatitis, both biochemically and radiologically. She had hypercalcemia on presentation and this was attributed to be the cause for pancreatitis as other causes were ruled out. 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D level was high with normal parathyroid hormone level. Whole-body positron emission tomography-computed tomography showed increased fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the terminal ileum and histology from that area showed noncaseating granuloma with acid-fast bacilli in the tissue. She was treated with antituberculosis therapy; hypercalcemia improved over a period of time and pancreatitis resolved. She developed anuric renal failure, and kidney biopsy showed patchy acute cortical necrosis. She is dialysis dependent at the end of 6 months. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of a patient with ileal tuberculosis presenting with hypercalcemia and acute pancreatitis. This case is reported due to the rarity of extrapulmonary tuberculosis presenting with symptomatic hypercalcemia, acute pancreatitis, and acute renal cortical necrosis.

Hemodialysis outcomes and practice patterns in end-stage renal disease: Experience from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Kerala.

This study was planned to analyze the hemodialysis practice patterns from a tertiary care referral centre as there is very limited data from India. All patients of ESRD on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) in dialysis unit at AIMS, Kochi, Kerala for a minimum period of 3 months were included. A total of 134 patients (M: F 2:1) with age of 20 to 84 years (Mean: 59.83; SD: 11.98) were studied. The most common causes of ESRD in study population were diabetic nephropathy (DN) (59.7%) followed by unclassified group (19.4%), chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) (11.9%). Majority (81%) were initiated on MHD through temporary vascular access on emergency basis. Majority (79%) of the patients were on twice weekly MHD. The range of eGFR (ml/min/1.73 m2) at the time of initiation of MHD was 1.26-11.78 by CG formula and 2.18-16.4 by MDRD equation. The mean duration on hemodialysis was 37.16 months and 50.7% patients had died during the follow-up period (3-108 months). The mean survival time on hemodialysis was 40.31 months (SD = 26.69). The mean survival time was lower in diabetic nephropathy (35.93 months) than in non-diabetic renal disease (47.46 months). The most common causes of deaths were cardiovascular events (51.5%), and infections (26.5%). In conclusion, males outnumbered females, among those on hemodialysis. There was no significant difference in eGFR at initiation of MHD based on etiologies. Initiation of MHD via temporary access, presence of LVH, acute coronary syndrome, use of acetate dialysate, need for parenteral iron therapy had impact on mortality. Survival rates while on hemodialysis at end 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th years were 87.31, 45.52, 21.64 and 7.46 percentages respectively.

Thyrocervical artery - jugular fistula following internal jugular venous catheterization.

Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is an anomalous communication between an artery and a vein, caused by an iatrogenic or traumatic etiology. Surgically created upper limb AVF remains the preferred vascular access for patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Nonetheless central vein cannulation for hemodialysis is a common procedure done in patients who need hemodialysis. We incidentally detected a thyrocervical artery - jugular fistula in a patient on maintenance hemodialysis. He underwent a successful intra arterial coil embolization of the feeding vessel. Review of literature has shown that, a thyrocervical artery - internal jugular vein arteriovenous fistula following a central venous catheterization has not been reported so far.

Takayasu arteritis in an infant.

Takayasu arteritis (TA), a chronic inflammatory arteritis affecting the aorta and its main branches, is a rare condition mainly affecting young women in the second and third decades of life. Occurrence of TA in infants is extremely rare, with only less than 10 cases reported all over the world until date. We report a case of a 2-year-old girl who presented with hypertension and was diagnosed to have TA with bilateral renal artery stenosis and this is probably the youngest case reported from India.

Plasmablastic myeloma presenting as rapidly progressive renal failure in a young adult.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a condition where there is malignant proliferation of plasma cells. There is a strong correlation with age, peaking at 60-70 years. The clinical course in adolescents and young individuals is generally indolent and the survival is longer. We report a case of a 28-year-old male, who was diagnosed to have plasmablastic myeloma, an atypical variant of MM with a poor prognosis, presenting as rapidly progressive renal failure. He was given induction chemotherapy and then underwent autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

Acute oxalate nephropathy due to 'Averrhoa bilimbi' fruit juice ingestion.

Irumban puli (Averrhoa bilimbi) is commonly used as a traditional remedy in the state of Kerala. Freshly made concentrated juice has a very high oxalic acid content and consumption carries a high risk of developing acute renal failure (ARF) by deposition of calcium oxalate crystals in renal tubules. Acute oxalate nephropathy (AON) due to secondary oxalosis after consumption of Irumban puli juice is uncommon. AON due to A. bilimbi has not been reported before. We present a series of ten patients from five hospitals in the State of Kerala who developed ARF after intake of I. puli fruit juice. Seven patients needed hemodialysis whereas the other three improved with conservative management.

The Churg-Strauss syndrome: An unusual presentation.

The Churg-strauss syndrome (CSS), also referred to as allergic angiitis and granulomatosis is characterized by asthma, peripheral and tissue eosinophilia, extravascular granuloma formation, and vasculitis of multiple organ systems. It is an uncommon disease with an estimated annual incidence of 1-3 per million. Here, we report a case of CSS with glomerulocentric granulomatous reaction with interstitial eosinophils and involvement of retinal vessels.

Nephrotic syndrome associated with meningioma.

A 58-year-old man presented with recurrent frontal meningioma and nephrotic syndrome. Renal biopsy could not be done in view of the rapid neurological deterioration. The patient underwent surgical resection of the tumor. Within 4 weeks, the edema decreased, serum albumin improved, and proteinuria decreased spontaneously. At three months of followup, the patient had attained complete remission of nephrotic state.

Is early removal of prophylactic ureteric stents beneficial in live donor renal transplantation?

Prophylactic ureteric stenting has been shown to reduce ureteric leaks and collecting system obstruction following renal transplantation and is in widespread use. However, the optimal time for removal of ureteric stents after renal transplantation remains unclear. Aim of this study was to compare the result of early versus late removal of ureteric stents after kidney transplantation of the laparoscopically retrieved live related donor grafts. Eligible patients were live donor kidney transplant recipients with normal urinary tracts. All recipients underwent extravesical Lich-Gregoire ureteroneocystostomy over 4F/160 cm polyurethane double J stents by a uniform technique. They were randomized on seventh postoperative day for early removal of stents on postoperative day 7 (Group I), or for late removal on postoperative day 28 (Group II). The incidence of urinary tract infections, asymptomatic bacteriuria, and urological complications were compared. Between 2007 and 2009, 130 kidney transplants were performed at one centre of which 100 were enrolled for the study, and 50 each were randomized into the two groups. Donor and recipient age, sex, native renal disease, immunosupression, number of rejection episodes, and antirejection therapy were similar in the two groups. The occurrence of symptomatic urinary tract infection during the follow-up period of 6 months was significantly less in the early stent removal group [5 out of 50 (10%) in Group I, vs 50 out of 15 (30%) in Group II, P=0.02]. Asymptomatic bacteriuria was documented in 2 out of 50 (4%) in Group I and 4 out of 50 (8%) in Group II (P=0.3). There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of ureteric leak, ureteric obstruction, or hematuria in the two groups (P=1.0). We conclude that, in kidney transplant recipients of laparoscopically retrieved live donor grafts, early stent removal at the end of first week reduces the incidence of urinary tract infection without increasing the rate of urine leak or ureteric obstruction.

Bilateral emphysematous pyelonephritis in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is an uncommon infection of renal parenchyma with gas-forming organisms. EPN is usually seen in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). The association of EPN with conditions other than DM is extremely rare. We report a case of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease with bilateral EPN who had to undergo bilateral nephrectomy.

Aplastic anemia and membranous nephropathy induced by intravenous mercury.

Self-injection of mercury can be life-threatening. We report a case of attempted suicide by self-intravenous injection of elemental mercury. The patient suffered from two side effects : membranous nephropathy and aplastic anemia. She was treated and the systemic effects of mercury were reversed after 4 years. The toxicology of mercury, mechanisms of renal and systemic toxicities, and the various therapeutic measures for mercury poisoning are discussed.

Disseminated candidiasis 18 years after renal transplantation.

Although mucocutaneous candidiasis is a common infection in renal transplant recipients, disseminated candidiasis is rare. Candida pnemonia causing miliary mottling on X-ray chest with the central nervous system involvement is still rarer. We report an unusual case with disseminated candidiasis that presented 18 years after renal transplantation and improved on conventional antifungal therapy; the relevant literature is reviewed.

Hennekam lymphangiectasia syndrome.

Hennekam lymphangiectasia syndrome is a rare disorder comprising of intestinal and renal lymphangiectasia, dysmorphic facial appearance and mental retardation. The facial features include hypertelorism with a wide, flat nasal bridge, epicanthic folds, small mouth and small ears. We describe a case of a multigravida with bad obstetric history and characteristic facial and dental anomalies and bilateral renal lymphangiectasia. To our knowledge this is the first case of Hennekam lymphangiectasia syndrome with anodontia to be reported from India.

Brachiocephalic artery thrombosis in adult nephrotic syndrome.

Thrombotic events are known to occur in nephrotic syndrome, as these patients have a hypercoagulable state. Venous thrombosis is well recognized, but arterial thrombosis is rare and is mainly noted in pediatric population. In the present study, we report a case of thrombosis of right brachiocephalic artery, embolic occlusion of right axillary artery, and right middle cerebral artery territory infarction due to thromboembolism in an adult patient with nephrotic syndrome (Minimal change disease). Patient underwent thromboembolectomy in the right axillary artery followed by anticoagulation therapy.

Cryptococcal sepsis in small vessel vasculitis.

While meningoencephalitis due to cryptococcus is well known in immunocompromised patients, disseminated cryptococcosis and cryptococcemia is rare outside the setting of advanced HIV infection. We report a case of disseminated cryptococcosis occurring in a patient with Wegener's granulomatosis on immunosuppressive medications.

Recurrent acute renal failure.

While acute renal failure secondary to intravascular hemolysis is well described in hemolytic anemias, recurrent acute renal failure as the presenting manifestation of a hemolytic anemia is rare. We report a patient with recurrent acute renal failure who was found to have paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), on evaluation.

Zygomycosis in a renal allograft recipient.

Invasive fungal infections can cause considerable morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Zygomycosis is a type of invasive fungal infection with a rapid course and grave prognosis. Renal transplant recipients with concomitant diabetes mellitus are most susceptible to this infection. We report here a case of disseminated zygomycosis (Rhizopus sp.) in a renal allograft recipient with posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM). This is the first reported case of zygomycosis caused by Rhizopus species.