Abstract
The case of a 58-year-old man with acute renal failure, rhabdomyolysis and ischemic colitis induced by mamushi viper venom is reported. On admission, abnormal elevations of BUN, serum creatinine, LDH and CPK levels were noted. We suspected ARF due to rhabdomyolysis and therefore started treatment with hemodialysis. Renal biopsy showed more severe pathological findings than those typically seen in ARF; these were mesangiolysis and patchy renal cortical necrosis. Further examination revealed the coexistence of ischemic colitis. The development of renal injury (mesangiolysis and cortical necrosis) and ischemic colitis seemed to have resulted from a circulatory disturbance induced by the snake venom. Our case shows the importance of paying attention to systemic symptoms related to this circulatory disturbance as well as the local compartment syndrome affecting the bitten site, in treating patients suffering from mamushi viper venom.
