Urinary bile casts in bile cast nephropathy secondary to severe falciparum malaria

Severe cholestatic jaundice may complicate with bile cast nephropathy (BCN) causing severe acute kidney injury (AKI). In this study, we investigate BCN in severe falciparum malaria complicated with jaundice and AKI.

This prospective study was conducted in a tertiary health care institution with high prevalence of malaria. A cohort of 110 patients with falciparum malaria complicated with cerebral malaria, jaundice and AKI were enrolled. Species diagnosis was made from peripheral blood smear or rapid diagnostic test. Severe malaria was diagnosed from WHO criteria. BCN was diagnosed with the detection of bile casts in urine or in biopsy. The recovery pattern and outcome with and without BCN was assessed.

Out of 110 patients, 20 (18.2%) patients had BCN and 15 (13.6%) patients had hepato-renal syndrome. Patients with BCN had high conjugated bilirubin (26.5 ± 4.1 mg/dL), urea (75.9 ± 10.3 mg/dL) and creatinine (7.2 ± 0.8 mg/dL), longer duration of illness (6.4 ± 1.1 days), higher mortality (25.0%) and prolonged recovery time of hepatic (9.6 ± 2.4 days) and renal dysfunction (15.1 ± 6.5 days) compared with patients without BCN.

Prolonged duration of illness and increased bilirubin cause BCN among patients with severe falciparum malaria with jaundice and AKI, which is associated with high mortality and morbidity.