Nephrotic Syndrome and a Retroperitoneal Mass: A Case Report of a Patient with Recurrent Invasive Thymoma

Intern Med. 2017 Dec 15;56(24):3317-3322. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.9224-17. Epub 2017 Oct 11.

Abstract

A 68-year-old man was admitted to our hospital to undergo an examination for nephrotic syndrome while concurrently complicated with recurrent thymoma in the parietal pleura and retroperitoneum. He had been diagnosed with invasive thymoma and had undergone thymo-thymectomy seven years previously. Based on the renal biopsy findings, his nephrotic syndrome was ascribed to minimal change disease. He was treated with corticosteroid monotherapy, which resulted in complete remission six months later, despite the fact that the recurrent thymoma remained. The role of thymoma in the pathogenesis of paraneoplastic glomerulopathy and the therapeutic concerns that emerged in this case are also discussed.

Keywords: corticosteroids; minimal change disease; nephrotic syndrome; paraneoplastic glomerulopathy; thymoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones / therapeutic use
  • Aged
  • Humans
  • Kidney / pathology
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
  • Nephrosis, Lipoid / pathology
  • Nephrotic Syndrome / complications*
  • Nephrotic Syndrome / drug therapy
  • Peritoneal Neoplasms / secondary
  • Thymectomy
  • Thymoma / classification*
  • Thymoma / complications*
  • Thymoma / pathology
  • Thymoma / surgery
  • Thymus Neoplasms / complications
  • Thymus Neoplasms / pathology

Substances

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones