Minimal change nephrotic syndrome associated with invasive thymoma: a case report with literature review

Clin Nephrol. 2014 Apr;81(4):296-301. doi: 10.5414/CN107708.

Abstract

The present report describes a case of nephrotic syndrome (NS) with invasive thymoma. A male patient was hospitalized for severe edema with reduced urine output. He had a history of thymectomy and radiotherapy because of invasive thymoma 4 years before the development of NS. Renal biopsy displayed minimal change disease (MCD). Although imaging study showed probably recurrent sign of invasive thymoma, the patient still received steroid monotherapy for ~ 9 months and he got partial remission of NS at the 8th week. Therefore, we suggest that MCD should be taken into account as a pathological lesion type in old NS patients with thymoma. In spite of longer remission time, steroid monotherapy and combination therapy with immunosuppressant are effective for thymoma-associated MCD.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biopsy
  • Diagnostic Imaging
  • Glucocorticoids / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Nephrosis, Lipoid / complications*
  • Nephrosis, Lipoid / diagnosis*
  • Nephrosis, Lipoid / drug therapy
  • Thymoma / complications*
  • Thymus Neoplasms / complications*

Substances

  • Glucocorticoids