DJENKOL BEAN POISONING (DJENKOLISM) - AN UNUSUAL CAUSE OF ACUTE-RENAL-FAILURE

This report describes a patient with acute renal failure that resulted from the ingestion of djenkol beans. Features of acute djenkolism inc lude nausea, vomiting, bilateral loin pain, gross hematuria, and oligu ria. The blood urea level was 16.2 mmol/L and the serum creatinine was 460 mu mol/L. Phase contrast microscopy of the urinary sediment indic ated that the hematuria was nonglomerular. Ultrasound of the kidneys s howed slightly enlarged kidneys with no features of obstruction. Renal biopsy showed acute tubular necrosis similar to the single animal stu dy reported in the literature. With conservative therapy, which includ ed rehydration with normal saline and alkalinization of the urine with sodium bicarbonate, the acute renal failure resolved. Based on its ch emistry, djenkol bean-associated acute renal failure may be analogous to acute uric acid nephropathy. (C) 1995 by the National Kidney Founda tion, Inc.