What is focal glomerulosclerosis?
Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a disease in which scar tissue develops on the glomeruli, the small parts of the kidneys that filter waste from the blood.
What is the difference between focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis?
“Focal” refers to the fact that FSGS only leads to some of the glomeruli filters becoming scarred; “segmental” means that only some sections of those glomeruli become scarred. With FSGS, many individuals experience cycles of remission and relapse.
What are the symptoms of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis?
Signs and symptoms of FSGs include:
- Swelling in body parts like your legs, ankles and around your eyes (called edema)
- Weight gain due to extra fluid building in your body.
- Foamy urine caused by high protein levels in the urine (called proteinuria)
- High fat levels in the blood (high cholesterol)
What is focal and segmental?
“Focal” means that some of the glomeruli become scarred. Others remain normal. “Segmental” means that only part of an individual glomerulus is damaged.
What drugs can cause FSGS?
Other causes of secondary FSGS include the use of certain medications or drugs that have been shown to damage podocytes, such as interferon, bisphosphonates, anabolic steroids, heroin, anthracyclines, calcineurin inhibitors, lithium, and sirolimus.
How do you treat FSGS?
FSGS treatment
- An angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) medication to lower blood pressure and reduce protein in the urine.
- Medication to lower cholesterol levels.
Can MCD turn into FSGS?
Although it is rare for Minimal Change Disease itself to lead to End Stage Kidney Disease, some patients with MCD eventually develop another disease called Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).
How do you cure FSGS?
Depending on the type of FSGS you have, your doctor may recommend:
- An angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) medication to lower blood pressure and reduce protein in the urine.
- Medication to lower cholesterol levels.
How long can you live with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis?
Actuarially calculated survival was 75% at 5 years, 50% at 10 years, and 38% at 15 years. There was no difference between the 28 adults and the 12 children in terms of evolution. Patients with a nephrotic syndrome at presentation had a poorer prognosis than those never nephrotic.
Is FSGS a terminal illness?
It is a scarring disease of the kidney that generally causes excess protein in the urine, nephrotic syndrome, and progressive kidney failure. It is not fatal, as dialysis and transplant would be the treatment of choice for FSGS that progresses to kidney failure.
What drugs cause FSGS?