Work

Beyond Empiricism: Diagnostic Value of Kidney Biopsy in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Endocarditis-Associated Acute Kidney Injury

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: As intravenous drug use increases, the incidence of right-sided infective endocarditis has also risen. Renal involvement is not uncommon in infective endocarditis, and treatment is often initiated empirically. However, in complex cases with multiple differential diagnoses, kidney biopsy remains the gold standard for establishing the underlying pathology. We report the case of a 35-year-old man with acute kidney injury in the setting of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infective endocarditis related to intravenous drug use, untreated hepatitis C infection, and possible antibiotic-associated nephrotoxicity. To differentiate these potential causes, a renal biopsy was performed during active infection, providing direct histological evidence of immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis.

Source: Cureus

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.96599

Authors: Sirin M Sevil Karapinar, Baris Afsar, Nicolas Mc Donald, Kunal Malhotra, Krista L Lentine

Institutions: Sancaktepe Şehit Prof. Dr. İlhan Varank Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Saint Louis University Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Infective Endocarditis Diagnosis and Management

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

Funders: Saint Louis University, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases