Levetiracetam-induced severe acute granulomatous interstitial nephritis

Abstract

Granulomatous interstitial nephritis (GIN) is an uncommon cause of renal failure, which may be caused by drugs. Levetiracetam is an increasingly used anti-epileptic medication that is not known to cause renal toxicity in adults. To our knowledge, levetiracetam has not previously been reported as a cause of GIN. We report the case of a 69-year-old woman who developed haemodialysis-requiring acute renal failure after commencement of treatment with levetiracetam, which was shown to be GIN by renal biopsy. She made a complete recovery with cessation of levetiracetam and treatment with steroids.