ABSTRACT
Cryoglobulinemia as a cause of renal impairment is uncommon but needs to be considered in viral hepatitis and haematological malignancies. Often detection and estimation of cryoglobulins are confounded by collection and processing errors. This report highlights the need for stringent processing measures if the clinical suspicion is high.
Subject(s)
Artifacts , Clinical Laboratory Techniques , Cryoglobulinemia/diagnostic imaging , Glomerulonephritis/diagnostic imaging , Kidney/pathology , Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/diagnostic imaging , Aged , Biopsy , Clinical Laboratory Techniques/standards , Cryoglobulinemia/complications , Glomerulonephritis/complications , Humans , Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/complications , MaleABSTRACT
Management of electrolyte abnormalities is challenging in older people as the sensation of thirst, renal function and hormonal modulators of the milieu interior are often impaired. Furthermore, the complex effects of ageing upon these homeostatic mechanisms are often superimposed upon a background of chronic disease, malnutrition and co-existent medications. Hyponatraemia is one of the commonest electrolyte abnormalities, occurring in approximately 7% of healthy elderly persons. Hyponatraemia may only come to light when some other ailment prompts investigations or hospital admission. Drug-induced hyponatraemia is common in older people and is most commonly associated with diuretics and SSRI/SNRI antidepressants, but has also been reported with a wide range of other drugs. We believe this is the first case report of hyponatraemia due to tolterodine.