Candidal renal papillary necrosis conquered

Renal papillary necrosis due to Candida albicans is a rare but treatable cause of acute renal failure. We report this case of a middle aged male with history of type 2 diabetes mellitus who presented with infected right lower extremity and right lower lobe pneumonitis with hypotension. Though, he improved initially, during his stay in the hospital, he developed acute renal failure. Blood culture grew Candida albicans and the renal biopsy revealed candidal renal papillary necrosis. He also had candidal retinitis on ophthalmoscopy examination. He was treated with parenteral fluconazole for two weeks followed by oral fluconazole for a total of 4 weeks. Following treatment, the patient improved symptomatically and his renal parameters returned to normal. This case illustrates the need to consider candidal papillary necrosis as a differential in an immunocompromised patient with acute renal failure. It is potentially reversible, nonetheless a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.