Acute renal cortical necrosis. Variable course and changing prognosis.

Three cases of acute bilateral renal cortical necrosis, each with a different clinical course, are discussed. One patient spontaneously recovered renal function after prolonged oliguria. This case should be added to the small number of similar case reports in the literature. The second patient recovered adequate renal function temporarily, but eventually required chronic hemodialysis and renal transplantation. There was pathological evidence of progression from focal to massive cortical necrosis. The third patient never regained renal function, but is well after dialysis and transplantation. The influence of modern theories of pathogenesis of the disease, and increased availability of dialysis, are discussed in relation to the initial prognostic assessment of the patient with cortical necrosis.