Acute Reversible Renal Failure due to Glue Sniffing

Glue sniffing refers to the deliberate inhalation of volatile solvents, commonly found in adhesives, for the purpose of intoxication. The globally increasing prevalence of glue sniffing suggests that physicians will encounter many such patients some time during their practice. We present a 19-year-old male who presented with acute abdomen and renal failure. He was treated conservatively and had complete recovery of renal functions in a week. The etiology of renal failure remained elusive on admission. While recovering from his illness, the patient revealed history of glue sniffing. The aim of presenting this case is to spread awareness among clinicians that glue sniffing should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained acute reversible renal failure, particularly in young patients.