Acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by
vancomycin mainly manifests as acute
interstitial nephritis or acute tubular
necrosis. Here, the rare case of a 71-year-old female patient with no history of
kidney disease, who was diagnosed with granulomatous
interstitial nephritis associated with
vancomycin, is reported. The patient had been treated with
vancomycin for over a month for an
abscess in her right thigh. She presented to the emergency department with a history of
fever, scattered
rash,
oliguria and elevated serum
creatinine for >10 days. After hospitalization, the
vancomycin trough concentration was confirmed to be >50 µg/ml. The patient received
furosemide and
continuous renal replacement therapy for AKI,
teicoplanin and
piperacillin/tazobactam for pulmonary
infection, and
urapidil,
sodium nitroprusside and
nifedipine for elevated blood pressure. Percutaneous ultrasound-guided kidney biopsy was performed. Light microscopy revealed
granuloma formation, and diffuse infiltration of lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and some multinucleated giant cells. Finally, the patient was diagnosed with
vancomycin-induced granulomatous
interstitial nephritis and was treated with high-flux haemodialysis and 16 mg oral
methylprednisolone, daily, for 3 weeks, which contributed to a significant recovery of renal function. This case suggests the need for regular
vancomycin concentration testing during treatment. When AKI due to
vancomycin occurs, a renal biopsy may be performed to help diagnose and treat the condition.