Renal calcifications: a complication of long-term furosemide therapy in preterm infants

During the last four years ten premature infants developed renal calcifications while receiving long-term furosemide therapy. The drug was used in infants with present ductus arteriosus and later in the same infants with chronic lung disease. They had received furosemide in a dose of at least 2 mg/kg/day for at least 12 days before calcifications were noted on abdominal roentgenograms. Calcifications included small flecks, isolated stones, staghorn calculi, and nephrocalcinosis. Analysis of stones received from our infants showed calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate. Infants who were not receiving furosemide had no calcifications. The infants with renal calcifications had rates of calcium excretion ten to 20 times that of normal, age-matched premature infants in our nursery. When chlorothiazide was given to the infants, in addition to furosemide, a four- to 15-fold decrease in calcium excretion and a radiologic dissolution of the renal calcifications were documented. It is concluded that furosemide, in doses of at least 2 mg/kg/day for at least 12 days can be associated with renal calcifications. The probable mechanism of the stone formation is hypercalciuria, primarily caused by furosemide.