[Acute kidney failure caused by hyperphosphoremia in tumor lysis]

We report the cases of two children presenting with tumor lysis syndrome responsible for major hyperphosphatemia, hypocalcemia and acute renal failure and treated by hemodialysis. Twenty similar cases have been reported in the literature. Hyperphosphatemia responsible for hypocalcemia and renal failure occurs within 24 to 48 hours after the onset of chemotherapy, is maximal on the 2nd or 3rd day and is, on the average, of 7 days duration. Short-term functional renal prognosis is good but long-term studies are lacking. The usual preventive measures are not always sufficient to prevent these accidents. A dialysis is appropriate when phosphatemia rises rapidly and exceeds 5 mmol/l, when the creatinine plasma level exceeds 200 mumol/l and kaliemia 6 mmol/l and when hyperphosphatemia is associated with severe clinical signs.