[Loin pain haematuria syndrome]

Loin pain haematuria syndrome is characterised by episodes of loin pain and microscopic or macroscopic haematuria, without a urological origin.

We describe a 39-year-old woman who was referred to us because of microscopic haematuria and proteinuria without an apparent cause, which had been present for 20 years. For 9 months she had also had continuous loin pain, aggravated by exertion. Additional examination showed erythrocytes in the renal tubules and a thin glomerular basement membrane. We made the diagnosis of "loin pain haematuria syndrome based on thin basement membrane nephropathy".

Loin pain haematuria syndrome is a potentially debilitating disorder that is often poorly recognized due to the unfamiliarity of physicians with this condition. Treatment of patients with loin pain haematuria syndrome consists of patient education, treatment with ACE inhibitors, pain medication and cognitive behavioural therapy. Renal artery denervation can be considered in cases of persistent, disabling pain.