Acute Kidney Injury Related to Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy: A Case Report

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has been developed for the treatment of hypogammaglobulinemia and is also used for many systemic inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. Acute kidney injury is a rare complication of the use of IVIG, and is mainly caused by stabilizing agents in the protein formulation. A complete recovery of renal function is seen within days. We present the case of an 81-year old woman, treated for acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (Guillain-Barré syndrome) that caused loss of sensation and muscle weakness in the leg. She was treated with IVIG for five days. Renal failure developed during treatment. The patient’s acute kidney injury resolved a month later. The patients should be monitored closely after IVIG therapy for renal injury.