Medullary Sponge Kidney (MSK) disease is a rare congenital malformation of the distal nephron where cystic dilatation is appreciable in the collecting ducts and renal papillae. Most cases of the malformation are thought to arise from a malfunction within neurotrophic factor and tyrosine kinase interactions. Presentation and prognosis are usually indolent; however, they include urinary tract infections (UTI), nephrolithiasis and nephrocalcinosis, distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA) and hypocitraturia. With an insidious and asymptomatic onset, MSK is a difficult renal manifestation to both diagnose and treat. Difficulty diagnosing MSK today arises from clinical settings deviating from the usage of contrast methods when assessing the urogenital tract. Many healthcare standards for kidney disorders center diagnosis around imaging techniques rather than contrast methods. This ultimately leads to a decrease in the total number of confirmed cases of MSK. Though intra-venous urogram (IVU) remains as the current gold standard to diagnose MSK, other methods such as endoscopy and Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) are being put into place. Endoscopic examination and renal biopsy may allow definitive diagnosis; however, such invasive methods may be considered excessive. Moving forward, differential diagnoses for MSK can be made more precisely when patients present with other renal manifestations, especially in groups at risk. These groups include patients between the age of 20 and 30, patients with other renal malformations, high sodium diet patients, hyperparathyroid patients, and patients with family history of MSK. Basic treatment is aimed at controlling stone formation by stabilizing urinary pH. Treatment for patients, especially those prone to forming stones, includes the application of potassium citrate compounds, prophylactic water and diet control, surgical intervention or lithotripsy for removal of symptomatic kidney stones.
Capecitabine is a prodrug of fluorouracil that specifically targets cancer cells, commonly used as monotherapy for metastatic breast and colorectal cancer. Its side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, anorexia, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, anemia, and hyperbilirubinemia. Rarely, this chemotherapy agent has been associated with cardiotoxicity, including cardiac arrest, likely secondary to coronary vasospasm. This case report serves to highlight the unfortunate case of a 32-year-old female who suffered a ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest three days after initiating capecitabine therapy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.