MINIMAL CHANGE GLOMERULONEPHRITIS IN A 90-YEAR-OLD PATIENT - WHAT IS THE IDEAL APPROACH

We report the case of a 90-year-old lady who presented with full-blown nephrotic syndrome. Percutaneous renal biopsy allowed us to confirm t he diagnosis of minimal change glomerulopathy; she entered a 2-year pe riod of remission after a 6-month course of prednisone (starting dose 1.5 mg/kg). The patient sustained minor effects of both renal biopsy a nd corticotherapy. Percutaneous renal biopsy is justified in the very elderly because the risk of mortality and morbidity related to cortico therapy outweigh the risk related to percutaneous renal biopsy, provid ing high-risk patients are excluded, such as amyloidosis or abnormal c oagulation or uncontrolled arterial hypertension.