Thrombocytopenia associated with legionnaires' disease.

aluminium concentration was ten times higher than normal, while no other blood values were abnormal.Finally, the interruption of oral aluminium intake and the reduction of the aluminium concentration in the dialysis fluid were followed by progressive clinical improvement and cure within one month.It is difficult to determine whether aluminium intoxication is due mainly to digestive absorption after oral intake or to the high con- centration of aluminium in dialysis fluid.Generally the concentration of aluminium in dialysis fluid plays an important part in intoxica- tion,2 though prolonged ingestion of aluminium salts during chronic renal failure may be responsible for causing encephalopathy.The fact that encephalopathy due to aluminium toxicity may be reversed by stopping aluminium administration indicates the importance of performing repeated measurements of blood aluminium concentra- tions in patients undergoing haemodialysis and of controlling the aluminium content in dialysis fluid.When considered with EEG and clinical data these measurements may lead to early diagnosis of aluminium toxicity and reversal of the usually fatal course of dialysis encephalopathy.