INFANTILE NEPHROTIC SYNDROME AND ATOPY

Nephrotic syndrome presenting in the Ist year of life is often associa ted with a very poor prognosis for normal renal function. A small prop ortion of patients, particularly boys, presenting after the first 3 mo nths of life with idiopathic-type, steroid-sensitive nephrosis, have a much better prognosis and may achieve sustained remission. We describ e three boys with infantile idiopathic nephrotic syndrome of the mesan gial proliferative glomerulonephritis type who went into complete remi ssion. The patients, their first-degree relatives or both suffered fro m atopy (eczema, asthma or hayfever). This is the first report linking infantile nephrotic syndrome and atopy. The literature linking idiopa thic nephrotic syndrome and atopy is reviewed, and the implications of our findings discussed.