Acute renal insufficiency occurring during intravenous desferrioxamine therapy

A patient of 14 years suffering from secondary haemosiderosis and thalassaemia major was treated with i.v. desferrioxamine in doses up to 3 g/d. Urine iron loss ranged from 46-158 mg/d. Despite improvement in cardiac and hepatic status the patient developed acute renal insufficiency of the pre renal type. The possible role of desferrioxamine in this complication is discussed. Desferrioxamine given s.c. or i.v. effects a marked urinary iron loss but its use may not be without significant complications.