[Acute renal failure secondary to paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria]

Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria is a type of hemolytic anemia that mainly affects children. Tubular renal injury induced by the heme pigment in intravascular hemolysis is a rare cause of renal failure. We describe the case of a 5-year-old boy who presented with dehydration and dark urine a few hours after exposure to cold. The child had had an upper respiratory infection the previous week. He developed anemia and acute renal failure. The direct antiglobulin test was positive with anti-C3c and C3d. The diagnosis of paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria was confirmed by the presence of biphasic antibody in the Donath-Landsteiner test.