Bilateral cortical necrosis of the kidneys following snakebite.

BILATERAL cortical necrosis of the kidneys is a rare pathological lesion. It usually follows some complication of pregnancy such as eclampsia. There has been only one case report where the lesion was seen at autopsy of a patient who died of uraemia after a snakebite (Azevedo & Teixeira, 1938). Oram, Ross, Pell & Winteler (1963) have described calcification of both renal cortices in a patient who recovered from anuria following a snakebite and they suggested that the calcification was due to bilateral cortical necrosis of the kidneys which had followed the bite. The interesting feature in the present case report is the finding of extensive infiltration of fat in the structures within the areas of necrosis of both renal cortices.