Acute interstitial nephritis and fatal Stevens-Johnson syndrome after propylthiouracil therapy

We report a case of acute interstitial nephritis and fatal Stevens-Johnson syndrome in a 90-year-old woman with amiodarone-induced hyperthyroidism, wh o had been treated for 5 weeks with propylthiouracil (PTU). On admission, t he patient exhibited acute renal failure and generalized macular purpuric e ruption. Acute interstitial nephritis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome were dia gnosed and PTU withdrawn. Although renal function recovered after PTU withd rawal and corticosteroid therapy, the patient's condition worsened, and she died after developing multiple organ failure. Acute interstitial nephritis seems to be rarely associated with PTU therapy. Moreover, a literature rev iew suggested that this could represent the first published report of a Ste vens-Johnson syndrome developing during PTU therapy.