RENAL BIOPSY TEACHING CASE An 18-Year-Old Female With Acute Onset of Nephrotic Syndrome

THERE IS INCREASING evidence over the past decade that the incidence of the various glomerular diseases causing idiopathic nephrotic syndrome is changing.1,2 Whereas membranous glomerulopathy (MGN) remains the most common cause of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in white adults, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) has overtaken MGN as the most common histologic pattern in black adults in some centers.1 The incidence of FSGS in the pediatric population also appears to be increasing, especially among blacks.3 Renal biopsy remains the mainstay of diagnosis of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in the adult population. We present the case of a previously healthy 18-yearold African-American woman with sudden onset of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome.