FATAL ANURIA FOLLOWING SULFADIAZINE THERAPY

The literature contains reports on nearly 1,000 patients treated with sulfadiazine. Only 2 instances have been recorded in which urinary suppression followed the administration of this compound. In both cases cystoscopy and pelvic lavage promptly relieved the renal failure. 1 In contrast to these clinical reports, which suggest a low toxicity of sulfadiazine, observations on experimental animals are less optimistic. Lehr and Antopol 2 found that, in albino rats, sulfadiazine may produce acute precipitation of the free acid in the renal tubules, and because of the poor solubility of the drug severe degeneration of the tubular epithelium may result. Gross, Cooper and Hagan 3 gave sulfadiazine in different doses to mice and rats. Of 70 mice, 15 died following the medication. In one third of all the animals almost all collecting tubules were blocked by crystalline masses. In about one fifth of the animals crystals were found also in the