CORTICOTROPIN AND CORTISONE IN MANAGEMENT OF THE NEPHROTIC SYNDROME IN CHILDREN

Abstract

About three years have elapsed since corticotropin (ACTH) and cortisone were first used in treatment of the nephrotic syndrome. Although this is not enough time to evaluate fully the role of a new treatment in a disease with such a prolonged natural course, enough experience has been gained to justify some definite conclusions and to suggest other probabilities. That these hormones are of importance in the management of nephrosis is attested to by the many papers that have appeared reporting small experiences with them; a fairly complete bibliography can be found in two recent reports by Rapoport and co-workers¹ and Luetscher and co-workers.² The results reported have been in general agreement. The purpose of this article is to summarize the results of my experience with both corticotropin and cortisone in a fairly large group of patients at one institution, with attention to not only the immediate effects but