Minimal-change nephropathy and malignant thymoma.
A 56-year-old man had fever, precordial pain, and a mediastinal mass. The mass disappeared two months later and the patient remained asymptomatic for 2 1/2 years. At that time a full-blown nephrotic syndrome developed, with minimal-change glomerulopathy. The chest x-ray film showed the reappearance of a giant mediastinal mass. On biopsy of the mass, malignant thymoma was diagnosed. Association between minimal-change disease and Hodgkin's disease is well known, while the association with malignant thymoma has not been previously reported. The relationship between malignant thymoma and minimal-change disease is discussed, and a possible pathogenic mechanism involving cell-mediated immunity is proposed.
D006801:Humans; D007105:Immune Complex Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000150:complications*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*