Nephrotic syndrome and neoplasia: our experience and review of the literature.

The glomerular lesion of paraneoplastic nephrotic syndrome usually presents as membranous nephropathy, minimal change disease or membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. We present six cases of paraneoplastic nephrotic syndrome. Four cases were associated with epithelial malignancies (lung, gastric and colon cancer), and two cases with lymphoproliferative malignancies (Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia). On the basis of light microscopy, immunofluorescence study and electron microscopy, membranous nephropathy, minimal change disease, and membranoproliferative glomerulopathy were established. We concluded, that the search for malignancy is warranted in patients over the age of 55 presenting with nephrotic syndrome, particularly in cases of membranous nephropathy.