Case report: a 5-year-old with new onset nephrotic syndrome in the setting of COVID-19 infection

• Published in: BMC nephrology Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 1 - 323
• Main Authors: Morgan, Kelsi M, Imani, Peace D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central Ltd 27.09.2021; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: And hypercoagulability; Antibodies; Asymptomatic; Case Report; Case studies; Children & youth; Coronaviruses; Corticosteroids; COVID-19; COVID-19 diagnostic tests; Creatinine; Disease; Diuretics; Edema; Enzymes; Hematuria; Hypercholesterolemia; Immunoglobulins; Infections; Kidneys; Medical research; Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children; Nephrology; Nephrotic syndrome; Patients; Pediatric research; Pediatrics; Primary care; Proteins; Proteinuria; Remission; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Steroids; Urine; Viruses; United States; United States > US
• ISSN: 1471-2369; 1471-2369
• DOI: 10.1186/s12882-021-02520-w

Abstract Background This is a case report of an asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with new-onset nephrotic syndrome in a pediatric patient. This is the third case of new-onset nephrotic syndrome in children associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, but is the first case report describing a new-onset nephrotic syndrome presentation in a patient who had asymptomatic COVID-19 infection. Case presentation This is a case of a previously healthy 5 year old female who presented with new-onset nephrotic syndrome in the setting of an asymptomatic COVID-19 infection. She presented with progressive edema, and laboratory findings were significant for proteinuria and hypercholesterolemia. She was treated with albumin, diuretics, and corticosteroid therapy, and achieved clinical remission of her nephrotic syndrome within 3 weeks of treatment. Though she was at risk of hypercoagulability due to her COVID-19 infection and nephrotic syndrome, she was not treated with anticoagulation, and did not develop any thrombotic events. Conclusions Our case report indicates that SARS-CoV-2 infection could be a trigger for nephrotic syndrome, even in the absence of overt COVID-19 symptoms.