Minimal change disease

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Male urinary system

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

Swelling may be treated with diuretics (water pills), blood pressure control, and ACE inhibitor medicines. You may receive instructions on how much salt to allow in your diet.

Corticosteroids can cure minimal change disease in a vast majority of children. Some patients may need to stay on steroids to keep the disease in remission.

Some children may relapse after they stop taking steroids. If that happens, they usually respond well to a repeat course of the steroids. Adults do not respond to steroids quite as well as children, but a majority still do find steroids effective. The frequency of relapses and steroid dependence may be greater in adults.

Frequent relapsers (more than 3 relapses) may need cytotoxic therapy. In most cases, this involves a course of cyclophosphamide. Other medicines that have been used include cyclosporine and chlorambucil.

Minimal change disease usually responds well to corticosteroids, usually within the first month. Relapse may occur but the patient may benefit from prolonged treatment with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive medications.

• side effects of medications
• nephrotic syndrome

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if symptoms of minimal change disease occur.

If you have this disorder, call for an appointment with your health care provider if symptoms worsen or new symptoms develop, including side effects of medications used to treat the disorder.

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.