title: Childhood steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome: does the histology matter?
abstract: Renal biopsy specimens from 51 children with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome who were following a frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent course were reviewed by two histopathologists. In all cases the biopsy was performed prior to the commencement of an 8-week course of cyclophosphamide. The clinical courses of these patients both prebiopsy and for a minimum of 2 years after completion of cyclophosphamide therapy were analyzed using retrospective case note analyses. The distribution of histologic diagnoses differed significantly from that reported by the International Study of Kidney Disease in Children in their study of children who underwent biopsy at the time of presentation, there being an excess of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and mild mesangial hypercellularity in this series. The prebiopsy clinical course did not predict for histologic diagnosis, and there was no correlation between prebiopsy course or histology and postcyclophosphamide course. The findings of this study support the clinical impression that steroid sensitivity rather than histology is the major determinant of prognosis in childhood nephrotic syndrome and that frequency of relapse alone is not an indication for biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Smart
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lendon
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Postlethwaite
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005923:Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009402:Nephrosis, Lipoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D015588:Observer Variation; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011239:Prednisolone