Acute Kidney Injury after Pembrolizumab-Induced Adrenalitis and Adrenal Insufficiency

We report a 70-year-old Caucasian male who underwent treatment with pembrolizumab for adenocarcinoma of the lung. He developed acute adrenal insufficiency and concomitant severe hypotension upon presentation. He did not require renal replacement therapy, rather his severe acute kidney injury resolved with hydration, normalization of blood pressures with vasopressors, and treatment with high-dose corticosteroids. His urinary indices (fractional excretion of urea, FEUrea) and clinical course were highly suspicious for acute tubular necrosis that resolved quickly after treating his underlying adrenalitis. The urinary sediment, proteinuria, and clinical course were not typical for the usually expected renal lesion of interstitial nephritis in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.Case Rep Nephrol Dial 2018;8:171 –177
Source: Case Reports in Nephrology and Dialysis - Category: Urology & Nephrology Source Type: research