Acute renal failure and ischemic stroke associated with intravenous immunoglobulin therapy.

Introduction. - Side-effects of immunoglobulins administered via the intravenous route are usually minor. However, acute renal failure and more rarely thrombotic events, including ischemic stroke, have been reported in association with immunoglobulin infusion. To our knowledge, no case of both acute renal failure and stroke following immunoglobulin has been described until now. Exegesis. - Two days after immunoglobulin infusion (2 g/kg), a patient who presented with autoimmune thrombocytopenia suffered severe acute renal failure associated with an ischemic stroke in the right anterior choroid artery territory. Moreover, the stroke worsened immediately following a second infusion (1 g/kg). Clinical and neuroradiological examinations were conducted. Conclusion. - Results indicate the need for both close monitoring of serum creatinine and diuresis before starting immunoglobulin therapy, and limiting the total dose to prevent thrombotic events such as stroke. (C) 1998 Elsevier Paris.