January 12, 2018
Pushing Glass (January 12, 2018)

- Published: January 12, 2018
- By: Michael Kuperman, MD
- Tags: Acute kidney injury, Cryo, Cryoglobulinemia, Cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis, Hyaline Pseudothrombi, Proteinuria
A 70-year-old female presents with 8 grams of proteinuria and a creatinine of 2.1. She relays that she has noticed a gradual increase in swelling over the last 6 months. She denies NSAID use and any new exposures.
What is the best diagnosis?
A. Cryoglobulinemia
B. IgA Nephropathy
C. Post-infectious Glomerulonephritis
D. Thrombotic Microangiopathy
The best answer is A – cryoglobulinemia.
The photographs show a membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis with numerous hyaline thrombi. The hyaline thrombi stain for IgM, IgA, kappa, and lambda. The best diagnosis is cryoglobulinemia. IgA nephropathy is a consideration, but IgA nephropathy typically has mesangial staining and usually no hyaline thrombi. Post-infectious glomerulonephritis is an exudative glomerulonephritis which has subepithelial humps by EM, but no hyaline thrombi. A thrombotic microangiopathy displays a different glomerular pattern of injury and has acellular closure of capillary walls, mesangiolysis, and no hyaline thrombi.