ABSTRACT
AIN is an acute, usually reversible, inflammatory disease, characterized by the presence of a mononuclear cellular infiltrate within the renal interstitium.
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND ETIOLOGY AIN is a relatively common cause of acute renal dysfunction comprising approximately 10-15% of cases of acute renal failure in large reported series. It can occur in any age group, but is rare in children. AIN is most frequently associated with drugs, particularly antibiotic, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Infections are the second most common cause of AIN. AIN also occurs in association with selected autoimmune systemic diseases, and malignancies. In 10-20% of cases, AIN is idiopathic (Table 6).
