CLINICAL PICTURE OF NEPHROPATHIA-EPIDEMICA IN CHILDREN

The clinical picture of nephropathia epidemica (NE) among children is poorly understood. We made a retrospective analysis of 32 patients age d 4-15 years treated in hospital for serologically verified recent NE. The most common clinical findings were high fever (100%), nausea (81% ), vomiting (72%), tenderness in the kidney area (63%), abdominal pain s (59%) and headache (59%). A peculiar symptom of NE, transient visual abnormalities, was found in 25% of patients. Four children had clinic al bleeding and 1 had encephalitis. 44% were transiently hypertensive. Renal function was impaired in 84%, proteinuria was present in 97%, h ematuria in 73% and leukocyturia in 44%. Other common laboratory findi ngs were thrombocytopenia (87%), leukocytosis (41%), elevated ERS (74% , up to 76 mm/h) and CRP level (89%, up to 97 mg/l), elevated liver en zymes (53%) and hypoalbuminemia (50%). No child needed dialysis therap y and all recovered. NE seems to be less severe in children than in ad ults.