Spectrum of acute cortical necrosis in Indian patients

Forty-nine out of 662 patients (7.4%) dialysed for acute renal failure were found to have bilateral renal cortical necrosis. Amongst 6061 autopsies carried out in our centre during the same period, the incidence of cortical necrosis was 0.7%. Obstetric causes were responsible for the renal lesion in 35 (71%) and non-obstetrical causes in 14 patients. In the obstetric group, cortical necrosis was observed in association with spontaneous or induced abortion in 39% and as a complication of late pregnancy in 33%. The non-obstetric causes included snake bite in 26 (12%), acute gastro-enteritis in 5 (10%), haemolytic uremic syndrome in 2 (4%) and G6PD deficiency with intravascular haemolysis in one patient (2%). Thirty-nine (80%) patients were anuric or severely oliguric throughout their illness but a steady rise in urinary output following a protracted phase of oligo-anuria was observed in ten patients. Forty-two (86%) patients died and seven survived. None of the survivors, however, achieved a normal renal function (Ccr 8 ml to 28 ml/min). The diagnosis of renal lesion was confirmed during life in 8 and after death in 41 patients. Morphological lesions were consistent with bilateral diffuse cortical necrosis in 39 (80%) and patchy lesions in 10 patients. Factors responsible for the high incidence of cortical necrosis amongst Indian patients have been high-lighted.