Insuffisance rénale aiguë au cours de l’infection par le virus de l’immunodéficience humaine

The most serious among the multiple renal complications of HIV infection is acute renal failure (ARF). ARF usually occurs in the late stages of the disease (AIDS). ARF has several causes, of which the most specific are HIV nephropathy and thrombotic microangiopathy. ARF can also be caused by the intake of drugs that are toxic to the kidney, which is common in such patients, or by a state of shock. Thus, given the wide range of possible causes of ARF, needle biopsy of the kidney is of vital help in choosing the appropriate treatment for each disease entity. Triple antiretroviral therapy and enzyme conversion inhibitors are effective in establishing the prognosis of HIV-related ARF.