Pulmonary embolism and renal vein thrombosis in patients with nephrotic syndrome: prospective evaluation of prevalence and risk factors with CT.

PURPOSE: To prospectively determine the prevalence of pulmonary embolism ( PE pulmonary embolism ) and renal vein thrombosis ( RVT renal vein thrombosis ) with computed tomography (CT) and to identify markers predictive of PE pulmonary embolism and/or RVT renal vein thrombosis in a large consecutive cohort of patients with nephrotic syndrome.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was approved by the local institutional review board, and all patients or their guardians provided written informed consent. Consecutive patients with nephrotic syndrome (24-hour urine protein > 3.5 g) underwent combined CT pulmonary angiography for PE pulmonary embolism and renal CT venography for RVT renal vein thrombosis . Prevalence of PE pulmonary embolism and/or RVT renal vein thrombosis was estimated for different ages, sexes, and histopathologic types of nephrotic syndrome. Multivariate analysis was used to determine independent predictors for PE pulmonary embolism and/or RVT renal vein thrombosis in patients with nephrotic syndrome.

RESULTS: There were 512 patients in the study cohort (331 male patients, 181 female patients; mean age, 37 years ± 17 [standard deviation]; range, 9-81 years), including 80 children. One hundred eighty (35%) of 512 patients had PE pulmonary embolism and/or RVT renal vein thrombosis , with PE pulmonary embolism the more common condition (85% [153 of 180]). PE pulmonary embolism was associated with RVT renal vein thrombosis in 85 (56%) of 153 patients and was isolated in 68 patients (44%). Most patients with PE pulmonary embolism (84% [128 of 153]) were asymptomatic. One hundred twelve (22%) of 505 patients had RVT renal vein thrombosis . PE pulmonary embolism and/or RVT renal vein thrombosis was found in 15 (19%) of 80 children with nephrotic syndrome, while 165 (38%) of 432 adult patients with nephrotic syndrome had PE pulmonary embolism and/or RVT renal vein thrombosis (P = .001). Membranous nephropathy was the most common histopathologic type associated with PE pulmonary embolism and/or RVT renal vein thrombosis (48% [88 of 183]). Membranous nephropathy, age greater than 60 years, high hemoglobin level, long prothrombin time, and high creatinine level were independent predictors of PE pulmonary embolism and/or RVT renal vein thrombosis (P < .05 for all).

CONCLUSION: PE pulmonary embolism and RVT renal vein thrombosis are common in patients with nephrotic syndrome. PE pulmonary embolism is more common than RVT renal vein thrombosis , is most often asymptomatic, and is most frequently found in patients with membranous nephropathy. A high index of suspicion and a low threshold for diagnostic work-up is warranted in these patients.