Thrombosis of the Main Pulmonary Artery in Nephrosis

Abstract

Introduction COMPLICATIONS of the childhood nephrotic syndrome have changed considerably since the advent of modern therapeutic measures. Recently, pulmonary artery thrombosis has been recorded as a complication.⁶ Similar observations in three patients with the childhood nephrotic syndrome at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital have prompted us to report our experiences with this rare phenomenon and with thromboembolism in other sites. Methods and Materials In an 18-year period, 1946-1964 inclusive, 2,416 autopsies were performed at The Children's Hospital, Cincinnati. This represents an autopsy rate of approximately 80%. All records were examined for anatomic or clinical evidence of renal disease and grouped according to the basic type of renal disease considered to be present. The material consisted of 75 cases (approximately 3%) having the primary diagnosis of glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, or the nephrotic syndrome. This group included 33 cases of acute and chronic pyelonephritis judged to be clinically significant, 27 cases of glomerulonephritis,