Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Nephrotic Syndrome
Number of Conditions: 3
Membranous Nephropathy
Specialty: Nephrology
Category: Glomerular Diseases
Sub-category: Nephrotic Syndrome
Symptoms:
proteinuria; edema (especially around the eyes and ankles); frothy urine; fatigue; weight gain
Root Cause:
Autoimmune or secondary immune-mediated damage to the glomerular basement membrane, resulting in protein leakage into the urine.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Urinalysis (severe proteinuria), kidney biopsy (thickened glomerular basement membrane), blood tests (anti-PLA2R antibodies for primary membranous nephropathy).
Treatment:
Conservative management initially; immunosuppressive therapy (e.g., corticosteroids or calcineurin inhibitors) for high-risk or persistent cases.
Medications:
Medications include corticosteroids (e.g., prednisone ) to reduce inflammation, calcineurin inhibitors (e.g., tacrolimus ), and ACE inhibitors or ARBs to reduce proteinuria and control hypertension.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Most common cause of primary nephrotic syndrome in adults, with an estimated incidence of 0.1–1 per 100,000 population annually.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Autoimmune disorders, infections (e.g., hepatitis B or C), malignancies, certain medications (e.g., NSAIDs), and genetic predisposition.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; some patients achieve spontaneous remission, while others progress to chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Thromboembolic events, infections due to nephrotic syndrome, chronic kidney disease.
Minimal Change Disease
Specialty: Nephrology
Category: Glomerular Diseases
Sub-category: Nephrotic Syndrome
Symptoms:
severe proteinuria; edema (especially around the eyes and lower limbs); frothy urine; weight gain; fatigue
Root Cause:
Podocyte injury in the glomeruli, leading to abnormal filtration and protein leakage; cause often idiopathic or secondary to medications, infections, or malignancies.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Urinalysis (proteinuria), kidney biopsy (normal appearance under light microscopy, effacement of podocyte foot processes on electron microscopy).
Treatment:
Corticosteroids as first-line treatment; immunosuppressants for steroid-resistant cases.
Medications:
Prednisone (first-line), calcineurin inhibitors (e.g., cyclosporine ) or rituximab in resistant cases.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in children; less common in adults.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Infections, allergies, use of NSAIDs, malignancies (e.g., Hodgkin lymphoma).
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent in children with high rates of remission; adults may have higher relapse rates and slower response to treatment.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Thromboembolic events, infections, acute kidney injury.
Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis
Specialty: Nephrology
Category: Glomerular Diseases
Sub-category: Nephrotic Syndrome
Symptoms:
proteinuria; edema; hypertension; reduced kidney function; hematuria
Root Cause:
Scarring of some glomeruli, often due to genetic, primary idiopathic, or secondary causes such as obesity or drug toxicity.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Urinalysis (proteinuria), kidney biopsy (segmental sclerosis in some glomeruli).
Treatment:
Supportive care with blood pressure and proteinuria control, corticosteroids or immunosuppressants for idiopathic forms.
Medications:
Prednisone , calcineurin inhibitors (e.g., tacrolimus ), and ACE inhibitors or ARBs for supportive care.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
A common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults, particularly in African Americans.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic predisposition, obesity, infections (e.g., HIV), drug use (e.g., heroin).
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; some cases respond to treatment, while others progress to chronic kidney disease.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic kidney disease, end-stage renal disease, thromboembolism.