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Reversible renal failure caused by a microsporidian infection
E J Aarons1, D Woodrow, W S Hollister
1AIDS Unit, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, UK.
Objective:
To report a case of renal failure associated with microsporidian infection in an HIV-seropositive patient.
Design:
Case report.
Setting:
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London, England, UK.
Patient:
An HIV-seropositive patient presented febrile with abdominal pain who developed renal failure. Renal biopsy and urinalysis showed infection with a microsporidian of the genus Encephalitozoon.
Intervention:
Treatment with albendazole (400 mg) twice daily was associated with disappearance of infection from the urine, clinical improvement and return of renal function virtually to normal.
Conclusion:
HIV-seropositive individuals with renal failure should have urine screened for microsporidia. The administration of albendazole in such cases may reverse renal failure.