title: Early onset acute tubular necrosis following single infusion of zoledronate.
abstract: Zoledronate is a highly potent bisphosphonate widely used in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. We report the first occurrence of toxic acute tubular necrosis (ATN) following treatment with zoledronate in a patient with osteoporosis. A 63-year-old Caucasian female with rheumatoid arthritis on anti-immune agents received a single dose of zoledronic acid (reclast) for worsening osteoporosis. Twelve days later, she developed renal failure with a rise in serum creatinine from a baseline level of 1.1 mg/dL to 5.5 mg/dL. Renal biopsy showed toxic ATN. Zoledronate was discontinued and the patient had subsequent gradual improvement in renal function with final serum creatinine of 1.8 mg/dL at 1 month of follow up. Careful monitoring of serum creatinine and awareness of the potential nephrotoxicity may avert the development of acute renal failure in osteoporosis patients treated with this agent.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatologist, Department of Rheumatology, Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yachoui
keywords: renal failure; toxic ATN; zoledronate