A 61-year-old Caucasian man presented with acute renal failure after multip
le wasp stings. The patient required dialysis support temporarily. Work-up
failed to show rhabdomyolysis or hemolysis and a kidney biopsy revealed acu
te allergic interstitial nephritis. The patient's renal function recovered
completely after a short course of steroid therapy. Acute renal failure aft
er wasp stings is typically caused by acute tubular necrosis In the setting
of hemolysis or rhabdomyolysis. Compared with previously reported cases of
acute renal failure associated with bee stings, our patient is unique In t
hat his renal failure was caused by a hypersensitivity reaction apparently
to the wasp venom. (C) 2001 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.