Gaucher's disease and mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis in childhood--a coincidence?
A 6-year-old boy, presenting with a nephritic syndrome, was diagnosed as suffering from Gaucher's disease (GD) and mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis (MCGN). GD was suspected because of aseptic necrosis of the femoral heads on X-ray and later confirmed by bone marrow aspiration and a lack of glucocerebrosidase activity in white blood cells; MCGN was documented on renal biopsy. The child was treated with prednisone, dipyridamole and aspirin, and recovered completely clinically. A second biopsy was not performed. The connection between these two rare diseases, and between nephritis and GD in general, is discussed.
Department of Pediatrics B, Haemek Hospital, Afula, Israel.
R
R
Halevi
M
M
Davidovitz
S
S
Mann
M
M
Ben-Bassat
H
H
Stark
B
B
Eisenstein
D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002648:Child; D005776:Gaucher Disease / Q000150:complications*; D015432:Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005962:Glucosylceramidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000150:complications
D005962:Glucosylceramidase