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Aterini L, Gallo M, Vadalà B, Aterini S. Thrombotic Microangiopathy and Multiple Organ Failure in Scleroderma Renal Crisis: A Case Report. Cureus 2023; 15:e44322. [PMID: 37779794 PMCID: PMC10538352 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.44322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
This case report can be considered a rare occurrence of scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) presenting with a severe clinical course and multiple organ failure. A patient diagnosed with systemic sclerosis four years earlier was admitted to the hospital because of severe malignant systolic-diastolic arterial hypertension and acute kidney injury (AKI). Exacerbating disease suggested thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) and the PLASMIC (Platelet count; combined hemoLysis variable; absence of Active cancer; absence of Stem-cell or solid-organ transplant; MCV; INR; Creatinine) score was used in the differential diagnosis. Despite the timely initiation of therapy with ACE inhibitors (ACE-I), the progressive renal failure required hemodialysis treatment, but renal function never recovered. Disease duration, skin involvement, and previous specific pharmacological therapy represented multiple risk factors that determined a clinical course complicated by pericardial tamponade with acute heart failure, acute pancreatitis, and ischemic stroke, with fatal evolution. These complications presented a challenging clinical sequence of events requiring an interdisciplinary course of action. Timely ascertainment of the SRC is important given the possible severe organ involvement as well as mortality. A diagnosis of scleroderma renal crisis should be considered in cases of acute kidney injury associated with known risk factors. Early treatment and collaboration between rheumatology and renal physicians can improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Aterini
- Nephrology, AOU (Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria) Meyer Children Hospital, School of Human Health Sciences at University of Firenze, Firenze, ITA
| | - Marco Gallo
- Hemodialysis Centre, Istituto Fiorentino di Cura e Assistenza (IFCA), Firenze, ITA
| | - Barbara Vadalà
- Hemodialysis Centre, Istituto Fiorentino di Cura e Assistenza (IFCA), Firenze, ITA
| | - Stefano Aterini
- Hemodialysis Centre, Istituto Fiorentino di Cura e Assistenza (IFCA), Firenze, ITA
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Kikuchi Y, Odashima Y, Yoshikawa K, Oda T, Tanaka F, Oikawa H, Ishigaki Y, Asahi K. Renal thrombotic microangiopathy and nephrotic proteinuria induced by intravitreal injection of aflibercept for diabetic macular edema. BMC Nephrol 2022; 23:348. [PMID: 36309669 PMCID: PMC9618189 DOI: 10.1186/s12882-022-02986-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors (VEGFIs) are used to treat malignant neoplasms and ocular diseases by inhibiting angiogenesis. Systemic use of VEGFIs has various side effects, including hypertension, proteinuria, and thrombotic microangiopathy, but adverse events due to intravitreal injection of VEGFIs have not been fully clarified. Although age-related macular degeneration was initially the most common target of intravitreal injection of VEGFIs, it has also been applied sporadically for diabetic macular edema in recent years. Proteinuria following intravitreal injection of VEGFIs would be reversible. In patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), however, it would be difficult to determine whether kidney damage arises from the clinical course of DM or from intravitreal injection of VEGFIs for diabetic macular edema. CASE PRESENTATION A 55-year-old woman with a 20-year history of type 2 DM began intravitreal injection of VEGFI (aflibercept, 2 mg every 4 weeks) for treatment of diabetic macular edema 2 years previously. She presented with leg edema, hypertension, and nephrotic-range proteinuria 14 months after the first injection. Histological examination of renal biopsy specimens revealed diabetic nephropathy with renal thrombotic microangiopathy probably associated with intravitreal injection of VEGFI. The patient's nephrotic syndrome completely improved at 6 months after simply discontinuing aflibercept. CONCLUSIONS This is a precious report of pathologically investigated renal thrombotic microangiopathy leading to nephrotic syndrome due to intravitreal injection of aflibercept for diabetic macular edema in a patient with type 2 DM. Renal function and proteinuria should be monitored in diabetic patients who receive intravitreal injection of a VEGFI. If kidney damage develops independent of the clinical course of DM during intravitreal injection of a VEGFI, renal biopsy should be performed and intravitreal VEGFI injection discontinued.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yawara Kikuchi
- grid.411790.a0000 0000 9613 6383Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
| | - Yoshimi Odashima
- grid.411790.a0000 0000 9613 6383Division of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Yoshikawa
- grid.411790.a0000 0000 9613 6383Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
| | - Tomoyasu Oda
- grid.411790.a0000 0000 9613 6383Division of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
| | - Fumitaka Tanaka
- grid.411790.a0000 0000 9613 6383Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
| | - Hiroki Oikawa
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morioka Tsunagi Onsen Hospital, Morioka, Japan
| | - Yasushi Ishigaki
- grid.411790.a0000 0000 9613 6383Division of Diabetes, Metabolism and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
| | - Koichi Asahi
- grid.411790.a0000 0000 9613 6383Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
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Phadke G, Hanna RM, Ferrey A, Torres EA, Singla A, Kaushal A, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Kurtz I, Jhaveri KD. Review of intravitreal VEGF inhibitor toxicity and report of collapsing FSGS with TMA in a patient with age-related macular degeneration. Clin Kidney J 2021; 14:2158-2165. [PMID: 34603693 PMCID: PMC8483684 DOI: 10.1093/ckj/sfab066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Intravitreal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor blockade is used for a variety of retinal pathologies. These include age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME) and central retinal vein obstruction. Reports of absorption of intravitreal agents into systemic circulation have increased in number and confirmation of depletion of VEGF has been confirmed. Increasingly there are studies and case reports showing worsening hypertension, proteinuria, renal dysfunction and glomerular disease. The pathognomonic findings of systemic VEGF blockade, thrombotic microangiopathies (TMAs), are also being increasingly reported. One lesion that occurs in conjunction with TMAs that has been described is collapsing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (cFSGS). cFSGS has been postulated to occur due to TMA-induced chronic glomerular hypoxia. In this updated review we discuss the mechanistic, pharmacological, epidemiological and clinical evidence of intravitreal VEGF toxicity. We review cases of biopsy-proven toxicity presented by our group and other investigators. We also present the third reported case of cFSGS in the setting of intravitreal VEGF blockade with a chronic TMA component that was crucially found on biopsy. This patient is a 74-year-old nondiabetic male receiving aflibercept for AMD. Of the two prior cases of cFSGS in the setting of VEGF blockade, one had AMD and the other had DME. This case solidifies the finding of cFSGS and its association with chronic TMA as a lesion that may be frequently encountered in patients receiving intravitreal VEGF inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gautam Phadke
- Metrolina Nephrology Associates, Charlotte, NC, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Fargo School of Medicine, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
| | - Ramy M Hanna
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Antoney Ferrey
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Amit Kaushal
- Sanford Health, Fargo, ND, USA.,Department of Medicine, Fargo School of Medicine, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
| | - Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Ira Kurtz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of California, Los Angeles, Westwood, CA, USA.,Brain Research Institute, Westwood, CA, USA
| | - Kenar D Jhaveri
- Northwell Health, Hofstra School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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