Minimal Change Nephrotic Syndrome in a Child with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

Renal involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is well known. We present a 16-year-old boy, who was in remission on treatment for SLE for the past three years and now presented with nephrotic syndrome. The kidney biopsy was normal with the immunofluorescence revealing no deposits. He went into remission by day 9 of treatment and completed the course of treatment with prednisolone alone with no relapses. The clinical picture along with the histology and autoimmune markers for SLE indicate that he developed minimal change nephrotic syndrome that was responsive to prednisolone. It is important to be aware that minimal change nephrotic syndrome can occur in a patient as part of lupus podocytopathy and heavy immunosuppression may be unwarranted.