We report clinical and renal histological data, treatment modalities and outcome of 43 Tunisian children with biopsy-proven lupus nephritis seen over a 23-year period. There were 39 girls and 4 boys with a mean age of 12.5 years at diagnosis of lupus nephritis and followed for a mean period of 77 months. Renal symptoms included urinary abnormalities in all patients, hypertension in 40% of cases, nephrotic syndrome in 60% of cases and renal failure in 25% of cases. Class IV and class III nephritis were observed in 48.8 % and 30.2 % respectively. Corticosteroids were used in all cases, associated to immunosuppressive therapy in 23%. Overall survival was 86% at 5 years and 74% at 10 and 15 years. Renal survival was 83% at 5 and 10 years and 63% at 15 years. Initial renal failure and tubulointerstitial fibrosis were significantly increased risk for the development of end-stage renal disease in our study group. Renal histological findings provide the basis for treatment recommendations. Timely performed renal biopsy is greatly needed to accurately determine the prognosis and to guide treatment in children lupus nephritis.

Fluoroquinolones are usually well tolerated with a minimum of serious adverse effects; renal toxicity is uncommon. Apart from the renal side effects of ciprofloxacin, we aimed to highlight the renal impact of a ciprofloxacin overdose, and thus conducted a prospective study in the Department of Nephrology at La Rabta Hospital between 2010 and 2015. The cohort database was continually updated until the inclusion of five patients who were subjected to an overdose and who were initially admitted to the medical intensive care unit and then transferred to our department for acute renal failure (ARF) due to ciprofloxacin ingestion requiring urgent hemodialysis. All patients developed ARF after 12–36 h of ingestion. Renal ultrasound was normal in all cases. Twenty-four-hour proteinuria was present but not significant in one case, while microscopic hematuria was present in one case. Treatment consisted of supportive therapy and extrarenal purification by conventional intermittent hemodialysis. Four patients recovered normal renal function within 3 weeks and the remaining patient eventually had chronic kidney failure.

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