Acute renal failure with normal plasma urea level secondary to acute pyelonephitis in a single kidney patient

MUSSO, CARLOS GUIDO; VILAS, MANUEL; FERNANDEZ OTERO, L.; IMPERIALI, NORA; ALGRANATI, LUIS

Electron J Biomed

MJ Coma MD, PhD. Unidad de Investigación. Hospital General Yagüe.

Año: 2007

Acute renal failure is a syndrome that usually runs with an increase in creatinine and urea plasma levels. However, there are clinical situations in which this syndrome may run with an increase in plasma creatinine keeping normal the urea one. In this report we present a case of acute renal failure with normal plasma urea level secondary to an acute pyelonephritis in a single kidney patient. The patient had an increased fractional excretion of urea which could explain the normal plasma urea levels found despite of his reduced glomerular filtration. This increased urea excretion state was interpreted as a consequence of the nephrogenic diabetes insipidus and alteration of the intra-renal urea reciclying process that the acute pyelonephritis induced. In conclusion: Acute pyelonephritis in a single kidney patient can appear as a pattern of acute renal failure with normal plasma urea levels.