Conservative management of chronic kidney disease stage 5: role of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors.

Background: Benefits and risks of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I) in advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) are controversial. We tested the role of ACE-I in slowing the progression of renal damage in a real-world elderly population with CKD stage 5.

Methods: We evaluated all patients consecutively referred to our CKD stage 5 outpatient clinic from January 2002 to December 2013.

[Free light chains reduction on acute kidney injury in multiple myeloma: critical role of high cut-off membranes].

We report our experience with five patients, with dialysis dependent AKI and multiple myeloma (MM). Two of them were already suffering from a mild degree of renal insufficiency, one was on follow-up for smouldering MM and two had a relapse of symptomatic MM. Median concentration of the involved FLC (iFLC) was 15104 mg/L (range 1196-24384).

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound assessment of complex cystic lesions in renal transplant recipients with acquired cystic kidney disease: preliminary experience.

We prospectively studied the potential value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to characterize complex acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD) or suspected solid renal masses, avoiding the risk of inducing acute kidney injury in 138 renal transplant recipients by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). Forty-three cases (31%) had ACKD; 15 ACKD patients (35%) showed suspicious or nondiagnostic ultrasound. The latter subgroup underwent CEUS and, if the suspicion was confirmed, a contrast-enhanced CT.

Conversion from calcineurin inhibitors to everolimus with low-dose cyclosporine in renal transplant recipients with squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (SCC) is the most frequent cancer in renal transplant recipients. Conversion to mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors after diagnosis of SCC may reduce the incidence of recurrence of skin cancer. This retrospective study evaluated the outcome of renal transplant recipients followed by the Renal Unit with posttransplant diagnosis of SCC treated with conversion from calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) to Everolimus (EVR) associated with low-dose cyclosporine.

[Severe recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis in systemic AL amyloidosis without obvious liver involvement: unexplained hepatic toxicity or a case of misdiagnosed liver amyloidosis?].

We report the case of a 50-year-old woman who was admitted to the hospital for acute abdominal pain with nephrotic proteinuria, rapidly progressive renal failure, and moderate anemia. Laboratory tests showed mild Bence Jones (λ) proteinuria with negative serum immunofixation and a mild increase in λ free light chains. A bone marrow biopsy and a fat tissue aspirate showed multiple myeloma and amyloidosis.