Elsevier

Kidney International

Volume 20, Issue 6, December 1981, Pages 765-771
Kidney International

Symposium on Pediatric Nephrology
Primary nephrotic syndrome in children: Clinical significance of histopathologic variants of minimal change and of diffuse mesangial hypercellularity

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Studies published during the past two decades leave little doubt that children with “minimal change” nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) have a consistently good initial response to corticosteroid therapy and a good prognosis, whereas those with other glomerular abnormalities have both a poorer initial response and a poorer prognosis. About 95% of children with MCNS respond to steroid therapy with a loss of proteinuria during 8 weeks of intensive steroid therapy, and in about 98% proteinuria disappears within 1 year. In contrast, the initial response rate in patients with all other glomerular abnormalities is only about 28% [1]. Renal biopsy is recommended, therefore, in children who continue to have proteinuria after 8 weeks of therapy, to identify patients with MCNS for whom a subsequent response can reasonably be expected and to exclude other forms of glomerular abnormality [1].

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