Misdiagnosing renal amyloidosis as minimal change disease.

Background: Minimal change disease (MCD) accounts for 10-15% of all adult nephrotic syndrome cases and requires normal renal histology by light microscopy and negative immunohistology. Foot process effacement on electron microscopy (EM) is typical. Renal amyloid deposits demonstrate pathognomonic green birefringence when viewed under cross-polarized light after staining tissue with Congo red (CR) and may reveal fibrils on EM.

The effect of racial origin on total body water volume in peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background And Objectives: Peritoneal dialysis adequacy is typically assessed by urea clearance corrected for total body water (TBW) on the basis of anthropomorphic equations, which do not readily take into account changes in body composition, which may vary between ethnic groups. To determine whether ethnicity could affect estimates of peritoneal dialysis adequacy, we compared TBW estimated by anthropomorphic equations and that measured by multifrequency bioimpedance spectroscopy.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: We calculated TBW in 600 healthy adult peritoneal dialysis outpatient attending two tertiary university hospitals serving an inner-city multiethnic population who had TBW measured by multifrequency bioimpedance spectroscopy performed.

Is extracellular volume expansion of peritoneal dialysis patients associated with greater urine output?

Background And Objectives: Residual renal function (RRF) is important for peritoneal dialysis (PD) technique failure and patient survival. Reduction in extracellular water (ECW) has been reported to reduce urine output. We audited volume status and RRF to determine whether ECW was linked to urinary output.