Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis: a case series and long-term renal outcomes

Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) is a common cause of acute renal impairment, characterized by the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the interstitium of the kidney. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 19 acute TIN patients attended to our Pediatric Nephrology department between April 1999 and April 2014. Nineteen patients (7 boys and 12 girls) were evaluated. The median age was 14 years (range 7-19). Five were diagnosed as TIN histopathologically, fourteen patients were diagnosed as clinically. Six patients were treated with steroids, thirteen patients were treated symptomatically. All patients showed a rapid recovery at longest in one month. TIN is a common cause of acute renal impairment. Renal biopsy is recommended for persistent cases. Renal outcome is mostly good with symptomatic treatment but steroids could be preferred in severe nephritis however long-term follow up showed no differences between the treated and non-treated group.