[karansaraf]

What is the difference? I had thought the two terms were interchangable, but apparently not as they were both options in a USMLE World question I recently had.

 

[Haisook]

They are different diseases!

ATN (Acute Tubular Necrosis) is most commonly due to acute ischemia in the setting of prolonged hypotension, dehydration, or shock. It's the most common cause of ARF originating in the hospital. Less commonly, it can be caused by drugs like aminoglycosides and amphotericin. The pathology is largely limited to the medullary tubules. Tubular (granular, muddy) casts are pathognomonic.

AIN (Acute Interstitial Nephritis) is most commonly caused by drugs like penicillins and NSAIDs. Eosinophilia and eosinophiluria are characteristic. Pathology involves the interstitium surrounding the tubules.

 

[karansaraf]

Ah I see.

So Acute Interstitial Nephritis is the allergic one (I had it written down as Allergic Interstitial Nephritis and thought they were two distinctly different processes, hence the confusion).

Got it, thanks a lot!