Case Reports in Nephrology and Dialysis (Nov 2022)

Tip Lesion Variant of Focal and Segmental Glomerulosclerosis in a COVID-19 Patient

  • Rita Serra Afonso,
  • Roberto Calças Marques,
  • Henrique Borges,
  • Eduarda Carias,
  • Ana Teresa Domingos,
  • Ana Cabrita,
  • Sandra Sampaio,
  • Ana Paula Silva

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1159/000528029
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 3
pp. 248 – 254

Abstract

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Acute kidney injury is a common complication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Several pathologic findings are continually being reported, showing a probably multifactorial etiology. The authors present a case of a patient diagnosed with a tip lesion variant of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in the setting of COVID-19. A 43-year-old African American female with no known renal disease presented to the emergency department with a 6-day history of fatigue, headache, hypoageusia, myalgia, cough, nausea, and vomiting. Laboratory tests confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. During hospitalization, there was a progressive decline in kidney function and evidence of nephrotic-range proteinuria without nephrotic syndrome. Biopsy specimen showed a tip lesion variant of FSGS. Genetic test revealed a homozygous variant of uncertain clinical significance (c.397G>A [p.V133M]) in the epithelial membrane protein 2 (EMP2) gene. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a tip lesion in a COVID-19 patient with no renal history. More studies are warranted to define susceptible groups and identify the detailed mechanisms of COVID-19-related kidney disease that would allow for specific management of this complication.

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