title: Histiocytic and Nonhistiocytic Glomerular Lesions: Foam Cells and Their Mimickers.
abstract: Numerous histiocytes are sometimes noted in glomeruli, giving rise to a foamy-appearing glomerulus. Foamy-appearing glomeruli may also be noted in conditions that do not contain numerous histiocytes. These disease entities are rare, have different underlying causes and pathophysiology, and can cause a diagnostic dilemma. We have observed this histiocytic/foamy glomerular change on the kidney biopsy specimen in 5 different disease entities: crystal-storing histiocytosis, histiocytic glomerulopathy associated with macrophage-activating syndrome, thrombotic microangiopathy, lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency, and lipoprotein glomerulopathy. We describe and compare the kidney biopsy findings of these histiocytic and foamy-appearing entities. It is important to recognize the kidney biopsy findings of these rare conditions to correctly evaluate and identify the cause and manage these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
authors.forename: Amulyajit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Electronic address: sethi.sanjeev@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Sanjeev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sethi
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005487:Foam Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D015614:Histiocytosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy
keywords: LCAT deficiency; Macrophage; crystal-storing histiocytosis; foam cells; glomerulopathy; histiocytes; histiocytic glomerulopathy; kidney failure; lipoprotein glomerulopathy; renal biopsy; thrombotic microangiopathy