Fungal granulomatous interstitial nephritis presenting as acute kidney injury diagnosed by renal histology including PCR assay

Abstract

We describe two cases of fungal granulomatous interstitial nephritis (GIN) presenting as acute kidney injury (AKI). Increased serum creatinine was detected in Patient 1 after chemotherapy for pharyngeal cancer and in Patient 2 after steroid pulse therapy for bronchial asthma. Renal histology of both patients revealed GIN. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based detection of fungal DNA sequences from kidney tissue demonstrated Trichosporon laibachii and Candida albicans, respectively. When AKI occurs in an immunocompromised host, differential diagnosis of fungal interstitial nephritis should be considered. Furthermore, PCR-based detection of fungal DNA sequences from renal specimens can be useful for rapid diagnosis. © 2012 The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissionsoup.com.