A medical question

[Toejam]

I'm a podiatrist hoping to enter med school next year. My training didn't cover this topic in depth, so I need to ask someone with more expertise.

I have a friend who's daughter has been found to be excreting abnormal amounts of protein in her urine. She's 6 years old and all other blood tests (including glucose) are normal. He told me today, however, that her serum albumin levels were decreased as well, but he can't recall that value either. There was also some blood found in the urine, but not large amounts. He said that her protein excretion levels were between 1 and 2 grams (he can't remember the exact number). She has had 4 separate urine tests, which all showed high levels of protein excretion. She has complained of diffuse pain in the abdomen, but it's been infrequent and not excruciating. She doesn't have any other symptoms and is actually rather tall for her age. He did mention to me, however, that her eyes appeared puffy the last couple of days, but he also said that she has allergic reactions to several things.

My thought was possibly minimal change disease. It seems to be common in children who experience nephrotic syndrome and could explain the lab findings and symptoms (periorbital edema), but I don't know how prevalent pain is in this case.

Does anyone know the long-term prognosis for someone with minimal change disease? Does anyone have any other ideas as to what could be causing this?

Thanks

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Future GI Guy]

First of all, personal medical questions are a big no-no on this board.

For instance, this child should see a Pediatric Nephrologist; that physician would be better equipped to guide treatment and diagnosis.

That said, your more generalized question about minimal change disease can be answered when looking epidemiologically. In general, prognosis for minimal change disease is good, with spontaneous remission being the rule, rather than the exeption.

Here is a nice link which gives a rather broad overview of nephrotic syndromes, of which minimal change disease is the most common in this age group:

nephrotic syndrome

 

[Toejam]

Thanks for the link.

No wonder nobody was responding! I also found some info on IgA nephropathy, which could be the problem. Hopefully for her it's not.

Thanks again

 

[MustafaMond]

with spontaneous remission being the rule, rather than the exeption.

WHy are med q's a big no-no?
What, r u an administrator?

FYI, minimal change doesnt "spontaneously go into remission".

Steroids are the rule.

 

[placenta]

He was probably thinking about postinfectious glomerulonephritis.

 

[MustafaMond]

yeah, probably. but this is almost worse.

FutureGIguy should go back to his Robbin's Pathology and look up "Nephrotic vs. Nephritic"

I just thought it was funny how he tried to hush the OP up, and then proceeded to give out false info...

I guess he did illustrate his original point, about not taking advice seriously on here..