POCUS Allows for Rapid Elucidation of Acute Kidney Injury in a Patient with Progressive Multiple Myeloma

A 63-year-old man with past history of multiple myeloma recently started on a regimen of daratumumab, carfilzomib, and dexamethasone was referred to our emergency department for a rapidly rising serum creatinine as high as 10 mg/dL. He complained of fatigue, nausea, and poor appetite. Exam revealed hypertension, but no edema or rales. Labs were consistent with AKI without hypercalcemia or evidence of hemolysis or tumor lysis. Urinalysis and urine sediment were bland without proteinuria, hematuria, or pyuria. Initial concern was for hypovolemia or myeloma cast nephropathy. POCUS revealed no overt evidence of volume overload or depletion, instead revealing bilateral hydronephrosis. Bilateral percutaneous nephrostomies were placed with resolution of the AKI. Ultimately, referral imaging revealed interval progression of bulky retroperitoneal extramedullary plasmacytomas compressing the ureters bilaterally related to the underlying multiple myeloma.