Information on persisting renal sequelae after cisplatin in children and adolescents is limited. Twelve patients aged 4-20 years had been treated with cisplatin and were healthy 4-43 months after stopping chemotherapy. Plasma creatinine, calcium, albumin and hydrogen ion concentration, plasma and urinary sodium, chloride, phosphate and urate, and urinary magnesium and potassium were comparable in patients and controls. However, mean calciuria, magnesemia and potassemia were significantly reduced and bicarbonatemia increased in the patients. Calciuria, magnesemia, potassemia and bicarbonatemia were normal in 3 patients only, calciuria was below -2 SD control in 9 patients, renal magnesium deficiency was demonstrated in 5 patients (all with hypocalciuria as well), and 4 patients presented with hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis (all with magnesium deficiency and hypocalciuria).
Conclusions: (1) Renotubular dysfunctions persist very often after cisplatin; (2) hypocalciuria is more frequent than hypomagnesemia; (3) the most severe tubulopathy after cisplatin includes hypocalciuria, renal magnesium deficiency and hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis.