Syndrome of flank pain and acute renal failure after binge drinking and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug ingestion.

The binge drinking of alcohol combined with the ingestion of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) is a recently described cause of reversible acute renal failure. The pathogenetic mechanisms leading to acute tubular necrosis in this setting include the initial compromise in renal perfusion due to alcohol-induced extracellular volume contraction and the superimposed renal hemodynamic alterations induced by the NSAID that interfere with the renal autoregulation. Although alcohol may also cause rhabdomyolysis leading to acute tubular necrosis, this is usually not apparent in these cases. Previously, only three such cases have been reported but the incidence is likely to be higher in view of the prevalence of alcohol and NSAID use. Herein is presented another patient in whom the features of flank pain and acute renal failure in association with binge drinking and NSAID ingestion constitute a characteristic syndrome.