Renal TB is difficult to diagnose, because many patients present themselves with lower urinary symptoms which are typical of bacterial cystitis. We report a case of a young woman with renal TB and ESRD. She was admitted with complaints of adynamia, anorexia, fever, weight loss, dysuria and generalized edema for 10 months. At physical examination she was febrile (39ºC), and her abdomen had increased volume and was painful at palpation. Laboratorial tests showed serum urea=220mg/dL, creatinine=6.6mg/dL, hemoglobin=7.9g/dL, hematocrit=24.3%, leukocytes=33,600/mm 3 and platelets=664,000/mm 3 . Urinalysis showed an acid urine (pH=5.0), leukocyturia (2+/4+) and mild proteinuria (1+/4+). She was also oliguric (urinary volume <400mL/day). Abdominal echography showed thick and contracted bladder walls and heterogeneous liquid collection in the left pelvic region. Two laparotomies were performed, in which abscess in pelvic region was found. Anti-peritoneal tuberculosis treatment with rifampin, isoniazid and pyrazinamide was started. During the follow-up, the urine culture was found to be positive for M. tuberculosis. Six months later the patient had complaints of abdominal pain and dysuria. New laboratorial tests showed serum urea=187mg/dL, creatinine=8.0mg/dL, potassium=6.5mEq/L. Hemodialysis was then started. The CT scan showed signs of chronic nephropathy, dilated calyces and thinning of renal cortex in both kidneys and severe dilation of ureter. The patient developed neurologic symptoms, suggesting tuberculous meningoencephalitis, and died despite of support measures adopted. The patient had ESRD due to secondary uropathy to prolonged tuberculosis of urinary tract that was caused by delayed clinical and laboratorial diagnosis, and probably also due to inadequate antituberculous drugs administration.

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Drug hypersensitivity reactions are presumably immune-mediated reactions that cause reproducible signs and/or symptoms. Overdiagnosis of drug allergy, frequently self-reported, is common and carries significant limitations. We intended to analyze the frequency and impact of drug allergy in hospitalized patients.A retrospective study was conducted in an Internal Medicine ward at a tertiary hospital in Portugal. All patients with a drug allergy report admitted within a 3-year period were included. Data were collected from their electronic medical records.We found that 15.4% of patients had a report of drug allergy, with antibiotics being the most common (56.4%), followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (21.7%) and radiocontrast media (7.0%). The allergy report affected the clinical approach of 14.5% of patients by motivating the use of second-line agents, or the eviction of necessary procedures. The usage of alternative antibiotics entailed a cost increase of 2.4 times. There were 14.7% of patients to whom the suspected drug was administered: 87.0% tolerated and 13.0% developed a reaction. Only 1.9% were referred to our Allergy and Clinical Immunology department and proceeded in their allergy study.In this study, a considerable number of patients had a drug allergy label on their records. This label contributed to an increase in the cost of treatment, or the avoidance of necessary exams. However, disregarding an allergy record may lead to potentially life-threatening reactions that proper risk assessment could avoid. Further investigation should always be part of the follow-up routine of these patients, and better articulation between departments should be encouraged.