Successful Treatment of Severe Hantavirus Nephritis With Corticosteroids: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Hantaviruses can be associated with severe form of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome although there are only a few cases reporting chronic kidney disease after hantavirus infection. We report a severe nonresolving chronic renal failure after protracted Dobrava hantavirus infection successfully treated with corticosteroids. Ten days after working in a basement a 33-year-old man fell seriously ill, with high fever, chills, diffuse myalgia, headache and abdominal pain. After hospital admission a diagnosis of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome caused by Dobrava hantavirus was made. Acute oliguric kidney injury developed in the first 3 days after admission, in a few days diuresis restored and he became polyuric. Nevertheless renal failure persisted and he needed hemodialysis. Because of nonresolving kidney failure, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus and renoparenchymal arterial hypertension persisting 2 months after onset of symptoms, a kidney biopsy was performed, showing severe necrotizing tubulointerstitial nephritis. High dose methylprednisolone therapy was started and his renal function significantly improved. Two months later a second renal biopsy showed persisting elements of active necrotizing tubulointerstitial nephritis. We decided to stop corticosteroid treatment and introduced aldosterone antagonist eplerenon as anti-fibrotic agent, and his renal function further improved and remained stable. Nine months later his serum creatinine concentration was 227 μmol/L, proteinuria 0.156 g/day and well controlled nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.