Nephrotic syndrome associated with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and membranous glomerulonephritis in remission

Renal involvement is frequent in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This lesion, termed lupus nephritis, has been reported clinically in at least 50% of the patients. It is generally assumed that in patients with SLE, renal abnormalities detected clinically are caused by lupus nephritis, especially lupus glomerulonephritis (GN). Thus, renal biopsy is performed not for diagnostic purposes, but rather for determining the type and extent of renal involvement. However, clinically significant renal abnormalities unrelated to lupus nephritis have rarely been described in patients with SLE. The reported case serves to emphasize this consideration. The patient was a 41-year-old woman who presented 11 years previously with severe hypertension, nephrotic syndrome, and a serum creatinine level of 2.9 mg/dL. Renal biopsy showed membranous GN and ischemic damage. After a prolonged remission induced by steroids and cyclophosphamide, the patient presented with nephrotic syndrome and a serum creatinine level of 2.1 mg/dL. Although she was normotensive at that time, there were features of SLE. Repeated renal biopsy showed focal segmental glomerulosclerosis without the changes of membranous GN or any type lupus GN. This case illustrates two interesting observations, ie, resolution of membranous GN and nonlupus renal lesions in patients with SLE.