Epidemiological, Clinical and Follow-Up Data in a Series of Thirteen Renal Insufficiencies Complicating Sarcoidosis

The sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatosis affecting most frequently the lungs and the mediastinum. An acute renal failure reveals exceptionally this disease. It’s a retrospective study implicating 13 cases of sarcoidosis complicated of acute renal failure. The aim of this study is to determine epidemiological, clinical, biological and histological profile in these cases and the interest of considering sarcoidosis diagnosis in case of unexplained renal failure. Extra-renal complications, therapeutic modalities and the outcome were determined in all patients. Our series involved 13 women with an average age of 41 years. Biological investigations showed an abnormal normocalcemia in 8 cases, a hypercalcemia in 5 cases, a hypercalciuria in 11 cases and polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia in 7 cases. An acute renal failure was found in all patients with a median creatinin of 540 umol/L. The renal echography was normal in all patients. The kidney biopsy performed in all patients showed tubulo-interstitial nephritis. The extra-renal signs were: pulmonary interstitial syndrome in 5 cases, a sicca syndrome in 4 cases, mediastinal lymphadenopathy in 2 cases, a lymphocytic alveolitis in 3 cases, an anterior granulomatous uveitis in 3 cases and a polyarthritis in 6 cases. Six patients benefited from hemodialysis. The treatment consisted of corticosteroid in all cases. The follow up was marked by complete resolution of clinical and biological signs. The diagnosis of renal sarcoidosis should be made rapidly in order to avoid end stage renal failure.