[Aluminum poisoning]

Aluminum intoxication is common in patients with chronic renal failure because of absorption of aluminum during dialysis from aluminum-containing dyalysate water and ingestion of phosphate binders containing aluminum. Aluminum accumulation in the body is followed by bone disease, encephalopathy and anemia. Bone diseases can be recorded in 44% of the patients treated with long-term dialysis. Two early histologic types of retarded bone turnover can be seen, i.e. osteomalacia and aplastic bone disease. In dialyzed patients, osteomalacia is usually followed by low PTH level in human serum. On the contrary, studies on uremic rats have shown that previous parathyroidectomy can prevent aluminum intoxication, because hyperparathyroidism in an early phase of chronic renal failure increases aluminum absorption from the gut and its accumulation in the body. As the pathogenesis of aluminum-induced alterations is unclear, the prevention of bone disease should be provided through lowering the aluminum intake in dialyzed patients. Bone biopsy is unavoidable for the early detection and diagnosis of the disease. Promising results in the treatment of aluminum intoxication have been obtained using deferoxamine, a chelating agent.