Minimal change disease

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Male urinary system

Minimal change nephrotic syndrome; Nil disease; Lipoid nephrosis; Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome of childhood

There may be symptoms of nephrotic syndrome:

• swelling -- especially around the eyes, feet and ankles, and in the abdomen
• foamy appearance of the urine
• weight gain (from fluid retention)
• poor appetite

The doctor would not be able to see any obvious outward signs of the disease, other than swelling. But blood tests and urinalysis would reveal results typical of nephrotic syndrome, including high levels of urine protein, low blood albumin levels, and high cholesterol.

A kidney biopsy and examination of the tissue with an electron microscope would show the classic changes of minimal change disease. An immunofluorescence exam of biopsied kidney tissue is negative.

Review Date: 12/09/2005
Reviewed By: Colm C. Magee, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Renal Transplant, Brigham & Women's Hospital, and Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.