A case of AKI-caused minimal change nephrotic syndrome with concomitant pleuritis

A twenty-year-old man complaining of chest pain was diagnosed as nephrotic syndrome complicated with pleural effusion and ascites. Despite treatment with antibiotics, his fever and high inflammatory reaction persisted. After hospitalization, his urine volume decreased and renal function had deteriorated. As he was suffering from dyspnea, hemodialysis was performed together with chest drainage. His pleural effusion was exudative, and IVIG treatment was added to the antibiotic treatment. He was diagnosed as suspected developed minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) and administered prednisolone intravenously. His renal function ameliorated as a result of this treatment, enabling him to withdraw from hemodialysis. Inflammatory reaction gradually decreased and his general condition improved. The result of a renal biopsy examination carried out after the hemodialysis treatment confirmed MCNS, which suggested that MCNS had induced acute kidney injury (AKI) atypically in this case. Generally AKI is not induced by MCNS in youth, but it may occur under severe inflammatory conditions. Physicians should be aware that MCNS in young patients may lead to the development of AKI requiring hemodialysis treatment.