Cefuroxime-induced acute renal failure.

Although drug-induced allergic nephritis (DIAN) is one of the most common problems seen by nephrologists, its true frequency is probably underestimated. Diagnosis is often difficult and is typically only made in patients without another explanation for deteriorating renal function, and is often based solely on improvement after drug withdrawal. The diagnosis may be made more difficult due to lack of typical allergic symptoms, presence of other drugs, or confounding factors and equivocal noninvasive laboratory studies. The gold standard for diagnosis is renal biopsy, but it is only rarely performed during the acute phase of the reaction and is not without risk. It is important to keep a high index of suspicion with regard to DIAN since it is usually rapidly reversible. Failure to recognize it and discontinue the offending agents may result in unnecessary morbidity and occasionally, irreversible renal failure. In our patient, DIAN possibly was related to cefuroxime, but the patient did not experience associated allergic symptoms. The diagnosis was supported by the temporal course of renal deterioration during exposure to cefuroxime and improvement on its discontinuation; the pattern repeated with rechallenge. This is the first reported case of suspected DIAN due to cefuroxime.