Acute renal failure with severe loin pain and patchy renal ischemia after anaerobic exercise

Acute renal failure with severe loin pain and patchy renal ischemia after anaerobic exercise (ALPE) is gradually gaining recognition. In this case series, we describe the presentation of ALPE in the emergency department setting and its clinical course. In Case 1, an 18-year-old man presented with acute-onset nausea, vomiting, and right flank pain after playing basketball, with a creatinine level of 6.42 mg/dL on initial presentation. He received fluid therapy and intravenous furosemide for 2 days. His creatinine level was 1.80 mg/dL on day 8 and finally declined to 0.71 mg/dL on day 39. In Case 2, a 31-year-old man presented with acute-onset nausea and right lower abdominal pain after swimming, with a creatinine level of 4.68 mg/dL on initial presentation. He only received fluid therapy, and his creatinine level finally declined to 0.90 mg/dL on day 11. In both cases, severe loin pain began after anaerobic exercise, and acute kidney injury without myoglobinuria was observed. The findings of our case series suggest that emergency physicians should consider ALPE in the differential diagnosis of abdominal and loin pain accompanied by an elevated creatinine level in young patients because it can be treated conservatively and has a good prognosis. Moreover, watchful waiting is recommended for ALPE while also emphasizing the need to exclude potentially life threatening or treatable kidney diseases.