Although bisphosphonates are well known to cause kidney disease, there are very few published cases of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) following treatment with minodronate. Here we report the case of an 86-year-old woman who developed acute kidney injury and nephrotic syndrome after receiving monthly oral minodronate for 24 months. Kidney biopsy revealed cellular variant FSGS. Treatment was initiated with the discontinuation of minodronate followed by intravenous methylprednisolone pulse and prednisolone at 35 mg/day. Subsequently, the patient's renal function gradually worsened, requiring initiation of hemodialysis. However, renal function and proteinuria improved markedly and hemodialysis was withdrawn 1 month after the initiation of steroid therapy. This is, to our knowledge, the first published case of FSGS induced by long-term use of minodronate, and also the first case of cellular variant FSGS induced by bisphosphonates although collapsing variant of FSGS is commonly caused by bisphosphonates. Our study indicates that patients on bisphosphonates should be closely monitored for proteinuria and renal impairment, regardless of the type of bisphosphonate.
Keywords: Acute kidney injury; Bisphosphonates; Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis; Minodronate; Nephrotic syndrome.
© 2021. Japanese Society of Nephrology.