Prof R. Coppo Professor at the post-graduate School of Nephrology and post-graduate School of Pediatrics of the University of Turin, Italy. Chief of the Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Department and of the Dialysis and Transplantation Laboratory Regina Margherita Hospital Turin, Italy

 

A 12-year-old white girl having had a ski accident with knee trauma and needing a surgical operation for menisceal removal, underwent some routine laboratory investigations which revealed an unexpected renal function detriment (serum creatinine 110 µmol/L, blood urea nitrogen 14.3 mmol/L). The girl had a past history of repeated febrile episodes thought to be due to upper respiratory tract infections, which had ceased 2 years before, some months after adeno-tonsillectomy. The urinalysis gave little additional information as urinary density was 1.012, pH 6.5, negative dipstick for blood and proteins. The urinary sediment examination revealed minimal presence of red blood cells and leukocytes (both of them with count of 5-10 cells/high power microscopic field). Urinary protein excretion was 0.48 g/day.

 

Question 1