Acute phosphate nephropathy secondary to the use of oral sodium phosphate laxatives. Report of one case

Acute phosphate nephropathy (APN) is an acute renal failure secondary to the use of oral sodium phosphate (OSP) laxatives, with a high risk of progression to chronicity. We report a 60-year-old woman with mixed connective tissue disease whose serum creatinine increased up to 2.0 mg/dL in her regular control tests, without an evident causative factor. Kidney biopsy showed numerous intratubular calcium phosphate deposits, consistent with APN. She had a history of OSP laxative intake, and a sodium phosphate enema was used before a colonoscopy performed six months earlier. The temporal association between the use of OSP laxatives and acute kidney injury, should lead to the suspicion of APN. The urine sediment is generally normal or with mild to moderate proteinuria. The diagnosis is confirmed with a kidney biopsy. Until now, there is no specific treatment for APN, thus prevention is essential. In high-risk patients for developing APN, the administration of these laxatives should be avoided.