[Acute kidney failure as a "mask" of a dissecting aortic aneurysm]

Two cases--of a 52-year-old man and a 59-year-old woman--are presented. The onset of the disease was acute with diarrheal syndrome and the patients were hospitalized in the Infectious Disease Clinic. The diagnosis of acute infectious enterocolitis was rejected. In the first days after the hospitalization the patients became oligoanuric and increased levels of urea and creatinine were established. A diagnosis of acute renal failure after acute enterocolitis was made and the patients were transferred to the Nephrologic Clinic. In spite of the rapid restoration of the diuresis after i.v. infusions, the patients died suddenly. The postmortem examination revealed an aortic dissecting aneurysm.