What is your approach to a patient with IgG4RD with past pulmonary involvement (biopsy proven) managed with steroids alone, now with new hematuria/proteinuria, but stable renal function?
Would you obtain renal biopsy first or treat with additional immunosuppression for suspected renal involvement related to IgG4?
Answer from: at Academic Institution
Significant hematuria is not a typical feature of IgG4-related kidney disease. IgG4-RKD most commonly presents as tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN), which presents as mild, non-nephrotic range proteinuria. In fact, urinalysis in the context of TIN is often normal, as the proteinuria is largely non-...
New onset hematuria/proteinuria in such a patient is definitely concerning. I usually do a kidney biopsy as it would help me rule out any superimposed GN, and give me an idea about how well am I managing their IgG4RD. If there is no other etiology and interstitial nephritis is found, that would be a...
Thanks @Guy for the wonderful response! Would also add to check complements. While the presence of low complements is of course non-specific as to etiology, hypocomplementemia has been described in renal involvement/TIN from IgG4-RD.
Comments
at Massachusetts General Hospital Absolutely, C3 and C4 should be checked in all pat...
at Duke University Medical Center Thanks for the reply and your insights! I mostly i...
at Massachusetts General Hospital Thanks for bringing up this important point about ...