A mnemonic for the causes of renal papillary necrosis is POSTCARDS: pyelonephritis, obstruction of the urogenital tract, sickle cell disease, tuberculosis, cirrhosis of the liver, analgesia/alcohol use disorder, renal vein thrombosis, diabetes mellitus, and systemic vasculitis.

[3] Often, a patient with renal papillary necrosis will have numerous conditions acting synergistically to bring about the disease.

The risk is higher for phenacetin (which was withdrawn from market in the United States) and paracetamol (acetaminophen) compared to aspirin and other NSAIDs.

[medical citation needed] This condition is due to ischemia of the renal papillae, the portion of the kidney that collects urine from the nephron.

[7] Individuals with renal papillary necrosis due to excess use of analgesic have an elevated risk of epithelial tumors, hence a urine cytology exam is useful.