Lithium nephrotoxicity

Lithium-induced nephrotoxicity was first predicted in laboratory animals more than 30 years ago. Evidence in humans, however, did not begin to accumulate until the 1970s. By 1977, anecdotal information was available to suggest that lithium intoxication was not necessarily a prerequisite for the development of nephrotoxicity and that renal damage also could occur as a result of chronic lithium therapy. Since then, several factors have been identified that could influence the risk of nephrotoxicity during treatment with lithium. These include number of daily doses, type of lithium formulation, and the incidence of renal disease in patients with manic-depressive illness.