Natural history and response to treatment of minimal change nephrotic syndrome

This study is a retrospective analysis of 177 patients of minimal change nephrotic syndrome seen between 1985 and 1989. Fifty nine of these had renal biopsy done and the others were diagnosed on clinical grounds. Short courses of prednisolone were used for three episodes in one year. If a fourth episode occurred in any 12 month period, cyclophosphamide was started. This was needed in 26 patients and was also used in 9 patients who did not respond to 8 weeks of prednisolone. Follow up ranged from 4 months to 5 years (mean 1.4 years). Thirty nine percent of patients sustained remission after the first course of steroids. Histological variations (presence or absence of diffuse mesangial proliferation or IgM deposits) and age made no difference to the response to treatment and subsequent relapses.