EXPRESS: A Rare Case of Persistent Hyperkalaemia

Author(s):  
Thomas Lewis ◽  
Gareth Roberts ◽  
Soha Zouwail

Hyperkalaemia is a common biochemical finding that can allude to pre-analytical or truly pathological causes. Here, we present a case of a 41-year-old female patient who has regularly presented with incidences of isolated hyperkalaemia since 2012, with otherwise normal renal function and no other associated symptoms. Investigations into the patient’s family history revealed similar biochemical findings in her brother and eldest son. Familial causes of hyperkalaemia were investigated and an eventual diagnosis of pseudo-hypoaldosteronism type 2C was established. This is a rare congenital renal tubular disorder, also known as Gordon syndrome, that can cause a characteristic triad of symptoms that include hyperkalaemia, metabolic acidosis and hypertension. The presence and severity of each of these symptoms is dependent upon the disease-causing mutation that occurs in WNK4, WNK1, CUL3 or KLHL3 genes. These mutations alter the regulation of sodium/chloride co-transporter (NCC) expression on the luminal membrane of the principal cells of the distal convoluted tubule, disrupting normal homeostatic regulation of electrolyte reabsorption and excretion. The resolution for treating this condition is the administration of a thiazide diuretic, which directly counteracts the effects of NCC co-transporter overexpression and consequently aims to resolve the symptoms that arise as a result of this aberrant signalling. The case described here uniquely presents an extremely rare pathogenic variant in the conserved acidic motif of WNK1 resulting in a clear electrolyte phenotype with no hypertension.

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 161-163
Author(s):  
Yelda Türkmenoğlu ◽  
Yeşim Acar ◽  
Fatih Cemal Özdemir ◽  
Ralfi Singer ◽  
Afig Berdeli ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-131
Author(s):  
E V Voljanjuk ◽  
I J Lutfullin

Renal tubular acidosis is a group of tubular diseases of the kidneys, whiсh are characterized by disorders of bicarbonate reabsorption, secretion of hydrogen ions, or a combination of both defects and cause metabolic acidosis with preserved glomerular filtration. Distal renal tubular acidosis is characterized by severe hyperchloraemic metabolic acidosis due to impaired excretion of hydrogen ions in the distal nephron. The prevalence of the primary distal renal acidosis is 1:40 000. Most often the first onset of the disease occurs at the age of 6 months to 2 years. The article presents a rare case of tubular acidosis type 1 in a child at the age of 1 month and 5 days. The presented case demonstrates that renal tubular acidosis can clinically manifest in children during the first months of life leading even at this age to severe metabolic disorders requiring certain raised level of suspicion for this pathology. Rarity of distant tubular acidosis is one of the factors predisposing to difficulty and tardiness of its diagnosis that leads to early disability and high risk of life-threatening conditions.


Author(s):  
Aylin Akbulut ◽  
Suleyman Kalayci ◽  
Gokhan Koca ◽  
Meliha Korkmaz

Background: Supernumerary kidney is an accessory organ with its own encapsulated parenchyma, blood vessels and ureters, either separated from the normal kidney or connected to it via fibrous tissue and ectopic kidney is a migration abnormality of the kidney. Here, we have evaluated a rare case of the supernumerary and ectopic kidney with DMSA, MAG3 and also CT fusion of the images. Methods: The absolute divided renal function was calculated for each kidney by DMSA. The MAG3 scintigraphy showed no obstruction in the ureteropelvic junction. Furthermore, the renogram curve and Tmax and time to ½ values were assessed. Two months after the conventional scintigraphies, the patient was referred to a CT scan and the fusion of DMSA SPECT and CT data was generated on a workstation. Results: The ectopic supernumerary kidney was functioning very well except a small hypoactive area, visible on DMSA, which was possibly a minimal pelvicalyceal dilatation. However, consequent CT scan did not show any pathology. Conclusion: It is important to evaluate particularly complicated or rare cases with multimodality systems with 3D or fusion techniques for the accurate diagnosis.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeji Ham ◽  
Heather Mack ◽  
Deb Colville ◽  
Philip Harraka ◽  
B Biomed ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Gitelman syndrome is a rare inherited renal tubular disorder with features that resemble thiazide use, including a hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, hypomagnesemia, hypocalciuria, a low or normal blood pressure, and hyperreninemia and hyperaldosteronism. Treatment is primarily correction of the K and Mg levels. The diagnosis is confirmed with genetic testing but Gitelman syndrome is often not suspected. However the association with ectopic calcification in the retina, blood vessels and chondrocalcinosis in the joints is a useful pointer to this diagnosis. Bilateral symmetrical whitish deposits of calcium pyrophosphate are visible superotemporally on ophthalmoscopy and retinal photography but are actually located beneath the retina in the sclerochoroid. Optical coherence tomography is even more sensitive for their detection. These deposits increase in size with time, but the rate of progression slows with long-term correction of the hypomagnesemia. Calcification may be complicated by atrophy of the overlying retina and visual loss. The deposits often correlate with ectopic calcification in the aorta, coronary and cerebral vessels. Chondrocalcinosis occurs in the large joints such as the knees. Ectopic calcification in Gitelman syndrome indicates the need for more aggressive management of Ca and Mg levels. Calcification is much less common in Bartter syndrome which itself is rarer and associated less often with hypomagnesemia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. M. Skipina ◽  
S. Macbeth ◽  
E. L. Cummer ◽  
O. L. Wells ◽  
S. Kalathoor

Abstract Introduction Acute encephalopathy, while a common presentation in the emergency department, is typically caused by a variety of metabolic, vascular, infectious, structural, or psychiatric etiologies. Among metabolic causes, hyperammonemia is relatively common and typically occurs in the setting of cirrhosis or liver dysfunction. However, noncirrhotic hyperammonemia is a rare occurrence and poses unique challenges for clinicians. Case presentation Here we report a rare case of a 50-year-old Caucasian female with history of bladder cancer status post chemotherapy, radical cystectomy, and ileocecal diversion who presented to the emergency department with severe altered mental status, combativeness, and a 3-day history of decreased urine output. Her laboratory tests were notable for hyperammonemia up to 289 μmol/L, hypokalemia, and hyperchloremic nonanion gap metabolic acidosis; her liver function tests were normal. Urine cultures were positive for Enterococcus faecium. Computed tomography imaging showed an intact ileoceal urinary diversion with chronic ileolithiasis. Upon administration of appropriate antibiotics, lactulose, and potassium citrate, she experienced rapid resolution of her encephalopathy and a significant reduction in hyperammonemia. Her hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis persisted, but her hypokalemia had resolved. Conclusion This case is an example of one of the unique consequences of urinary diversions. Urothelial tissue is typically impermeable to urinary solutes. However, when bowel segments are used, abnormal absorption of solutes occurs, including exchange of urinary chloride for serum bicarbonate, leading to a persistent hyperchloremic nonanion gap metabolic acidosis. In addition, overproduction of ammonia from urea-producing organisms can lead to abnormal absorption into the blood and subsequent oversaturation of hepatic metabolic capacity with consequent hyperammonemic encephalopathy. Although this is a rare case, prompt identification and treatment of these metabolic abnormalities is critical to prevent severe central nervous system complications such as altered mental status, coma, and even death in patients with urinary diversions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daorina Bao ◽  
Ying Tan ◽  
Xiaojuan Yu ◽  
Bingjie Wang ◽  
Hui Wang ◽  
...  

In this research, we described a very rare case of secondary lupus nephritis associated with B-cell lymphoma. An 84-year-old man was hospitalized at our institute for lower extremity edema persisting for over 2 months. He was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus based on clinical and laboratory criteria, which showed impaired renal function and nephrotic syndrome with predominant hematuria. Renal biopsy showed IV+V lupus nephritis with highly infiltrated lymphoid cells in the kidney. Secondary lupus nephritis was suspected based on the possible pathogenesis of glomerular injury due to mantle cell lymphoma. Low-dose dexamethasone, rituximab, and lenalidomide were immediately started on the patient, and his renal function was improved after the first cycle of chemotherapy.


Author(s):  
Caibin Fan ◽  
Kai Li ◽  
Yanhong Ding ◽  
Wei Lu ◽  
Jianqing Wang

AbstractIn December 2019 and January 2020, novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) - infected pneumonia (NCIP) occurred in Wuhan, and has already posed a serious threat to public health. ACE2 (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2) has been shown to be one of the major receptors that mediate the entry of 2019-nCoV into human cells, which also happens in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS). Several researches have indicated that some patients have abnormal renal function or even kidney damage in addition to injury in respiratory system, and the related mechanism is unknown. This arouses our interest in whether coronavirus infection will affect the urinary and male reproductive systems. Here in this study, we used the online datasets to analyze ACE2 expression in different human organs. The results indicate that ACE2 highly expresses in renal tubular cells, Leydig cells and cells in seminiferous ducts in testis. Therefore, virus might directly bind to such ACE2 positive cells and damage the kidney and testicular tissue of patients. Our results indicate that renal function evaluation and special care should be performed in 2019-nCoV patients during clinical work, because of the kidney damage caused by virus and antiviral drugs with certain renal toxicity. In addition, due to the potential pathogenicity of the virus to testicular tissues, clinicians should pay attention to the risk of testicular lesions in patients during hospitalization and later clinical follow-up, especially the assessment and appropriate intervention in young patients’ fertility.


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