CASE STUDIES

Chronic renal failure associated with hepatic insufficiency.
By R. Coppo

Prof R. Coppo Professor at the post-graduate School of Nephrology and post-graduate School of Pediatrics of the University of Turin, Italy Chief of the Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Department and of the Dialysis and Transplantation Laboratory Regina Margherita Hospital Turin, Italy

 

A one-month-old boy, caucasian, was admitted to the Children’s Hospital because of an enlarged abdomen with evident bilateral inguinal hernias. On physical examination an extremely severe hypertension was detected. Blood pressure (BP) values were 160/100 mmHg, versus the upper limit represented by the 95th centile values in children < 1 year of age of 102 /55 mmHg. An initial degree of papillary oedema was detected. Serum creatinine was 88 µmol/L, blood urea nitrogen 10.5 mmol/L. The calculated GFR using the Schwartz formula was 35 mL/1.73 m2/min. Urinalysis was unremarkable. There was no family history of renal disease and a pre-natal ultrasound (US) reported enlarged kidneys, and urinary tract dilatations.

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