Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease of unknown etiology, characterized by chronic granulomatous inflammation, which affects most frequently the lungs, skin, and eyes, and most rarely the kidneys. We report the case of a 47-year-old, white, woman admitted to the emergency unit of a university-affiliated hospital due to symptoms and radiologic findings suggestive of pneumonia. Since the beginning, her laboratory tests showed acute renal failure, initially attributed to the recent history of abuse of anti-inflammatory drugs. However, because of her protracted and apparently unfavorable evolution, requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT), she underwent renal biopsy for diagnosis and prognostic assessment. Histology showed acute granulomatous interstitial nephritis, characteristic of renal sarcoidosis, which was confirmed after review of the medical record disclosing a previous admission due to lung involvement of the disease. Treatment with prednisone (1mg/kg/day) was initiated, acute renal failure improved, and the patient no longer required RRT. Currently she is followed up on an outpatient service, and her renal function is stable.
sarcoidosis; acute renal failure; acute interstitial nephritis; hypercalcemia
