Tumoral calcinosis associated with hypercalcemia in a patient with chronic renal failure.

A 56-year-old male with chronic renal failure was admitted to the hospital because of progressive hip pain, appetite loss, general fatigue, and hypercalcemia. Slight pain had developed in the left hip 3 months before the initiation of hemodialysis, which subsequently developed into hyperalgesia. The patient was suspected to have sarcoidosis based on the elevated serum angiotensin-converting enzyme and lysozyme levels, and the ocular finding characterized by punched out chorioretinal scarring, although this could not be confirmed by histological evaluations. There was an abnormal uptake of gallium in the dependent portion of the tumoral calcinosis, which could have suggested either the presence of granulomatous sarcoid tissue within the calcified mass or active calcification associated with an inflammatory reaction. Elevated serum concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, which should be implicated in the development of hypercalcemia, promptly decreased after the administration of steroids. Steroid administration subsequently led to a decrease in the serum calcium and relief of the hip pain. This was a rare case of sarcoidosis associated with symptomatic tumoral calcinosis and hypercalcemia. The diagnostic significance of a gallium scan in this case will also be discussed.

[Case of lupus nephritis and enteritis associated with bilateral hydronephrosis].

A case of nephrotic syndrome associated with bilateral hydronephrosis in a 26-year-old female is reported. She was referred to our hospital because of persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, and urinary disorders. On admission, ascites, intestinal edema, and bilateral hydronephrosis, were demonstrated by radiographic analysis. The findings of both physical and laboratory examinations showed evidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In addition, diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis was consistently confirmed by a renal biopsy. Immediately after the initiation of steroid treatment, her abdominal symptoms disappeared followed by an improvement in the symptoms of intestinal edema, hydronephrosis, and the renal function. The relationship between ureterohydronephrosis and lupus cystitis, and the fact that lupus enteritis is often associated with lupus cystitis have been demonstrated by previous studies. Finally, the clinical manifestations observed in our case led us to consider the association of lupus enteritis and cystitis. We should bear in mind the possible association of several disorders, including nephrotic syndrome, enteritis, and hydronephrosis due to cystitis, in cases presenting with SLE.

[Nephrotic syndrome associated with lung adenocarcinoma: report of an autopsy case].

A 73-year-old male with nephrotic syndrome was admitted to our hospital. He was empirically treated with prednisolone, which resulted in the alleviation of proteinuria, hypoproteinemia, and pleural effusion. Thereafter, a computed tomographic scan revealed a mass lesion in the right-lower lung field. Finally, the patient died of multiple organ failure induced by disseminated intravascular coagulation. Adenocarcinoma of the lung and membranous nephropathy (MN) were revealed by autopsy. MN tends to occur in the elderly, and is also occasionally associated with solid tumors, such as lung and gastrointestinal cancer. Therefore, a malignancy survey may be useful in the management of cases with nephrotic syndrome in which MN is pathologically defined. However, the initiation of empirical treatment without a pathological diagnosis is not an exceptional phenomenon. Physicians should, therefore, bear in mind the potential association of malignancy and immediately and carefully investigate the potential presence of a malignancy in elderly patients with a new onset of nephrotic syndrome.

[Case of Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis associated with IgA monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance].

We report the case of a 72-year-old man with nephritic syndrome and rapidly progressive renal failure due to Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN). He was successfully treated with methylprednisolone pulse therapy, followed by oral prednisolone at the dose of 30 mg per day. He was also diagnosed by immunoelectrophoresis as IgA-lambda monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (IgA-MGUS). Renal biopsy revealed the diffuse crescentic glomerulonephritis associated with mesangial deposition of IgA and C3. Since an immunofluorescence examination failed to show the deposition of lambda, the significance of IgA paraproteinemia on the HSPN was obscure in the present case. However, we must bear in mind the latent presence of IgA-MGUS in cases of HSPN.

Changes in the urinary excretion of beta2-microglobulin (beta 2MG) and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) during treatment for lupus nephritis.

Tubulointerstitial involvement in the kidneys is frequently found but it is a less emphasized feature of lupus nephritis (LN). Recent studies have shown increases in the urinary excretion of beta2-microglobulin (beta 2MG) and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), which are considered to indicate the presence of tubulointerstitial damage, particularly in cases of LN. However, the changes in these urinary parameters during the clinical course of LN have not yet been fully clarified. In this report, we describe the changes in the urinary excretion of beta 2MG and NAG during immunosuppressive treatment combined with double filtration plasmapheresis in a case of LN.