Abdominal Imaging - Pictorial Essay

Imaging findings of renal toxicity in patients on chronic lithium therapy

10.5152/dir.2013.097

  • Ali Devrim Karaosmanoğlu
  • Selim R. Butros
  • Ronald Arellano

Received Date: 16.10.2012 Accepted Date: 03.01.2013 Diagn Interv Radiol 2013;19(4):299-303

Lithium salts are the mainstay of treatment of bipolar disorder. However, the therapeutic index of lithium is narrow, and severe side effects may be seen. Nephrotoxicity is the most important side effect, which may progress to chronic renal failure. In this pictorial essay, we present ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging findings of renal toxicity secondary to chronic lithium use. We believe that imaging could be extremely helpful for the evaluation of renal toxicity and may even detect preclinical stages of renal parenchymal injury. A combination of different imaging modalities may help clarify findings detected on one modality.