Papillary necrosis associated with rifampicin therapy.

We report a patient who developed progressive renal failure following 13 months of rifampicin therapy for renal tuberculosis. The renal function continued to deteriorate despite the discontinuation of rifampicin. Renal pathology did not demonstrate any evidence of tuberculosis of the kidney but revealed the unique pathological finding of glomerulosclerosis, granulomatous interstitial nephritis, and extensive papillary necrosis.