Question

Difficulty: MediumNephrology

Match each clinical presentation of renal disease with the most likely corresponding glomerular pathology.

  • A 32-year-old patient with untreated HIV infection who rapidly develops severe lower extremity edema and proteinuria exceeding 4 g/day.Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
  • A 65-year-old patient with newly diagnosed colon cancer who presents with generalized edema, hypoalbuminemia, and hyperlipidemia.Membranous nephropathy
  • A 24-year-old patient who notices red-tinged urine concurrently with a low-grade fever and sore throat, which returns to normal within a few days.IgA nephropathy
  • A 16-year-old patient who develops sudden massive proteinuria and periorbital edema that rapidly resolves following a course of systemic corticosteroids.Minimal change disease

Answer

The correct matches are: 1) HIV infection matches Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, 2) Colon cancer matches Membranous nephropathy, 3) Synpharyngitic hematuria matches IgA nephropathy, and 4) Corticosteroid-responsive proteinuria matches Minimal change disease.
Each vignette represents a classic presentation of a specific glomerular disease. HIV infection strongly predisposes patients to HIV-associated nephropathy, a collapsing form of Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Solid organ malignancies are a classic secondary cause of Membranous nephropathy. Synpharyngitic hematuria is the hallmark of IgA nephropathy. Finally, sudden-onset, steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome in a young patient is highly characteristic of Minimal change disease.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the clinical presentation and demographics of each patient in the provided vignettes.
Identified key triggers and associations: HIV, solid tumor, concurrent respiratory infection, and pediatric/adolescent steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome.
Recognizing the classic clinical associations is essential for diagnosing specific glomerular diseases before considering renal biopsy.
2
Correlate each identified clinical trigger with its classic glomerular pathology.
HIV correlates with Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, solid tumors with Membranous nephropathy, concurrent infections with IgA nephropathy, and steroid responsiveness in youth with Minimal change disease.
These classic epidemiological and clinical links guide the next steps in management and diagnostic confirmation.

Key Concept

Clinical associations of specific glomerular diseases
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