Nephrotic syndrome induced by D-penicillamine therapy.

The paper presents a female patient in whom the penicillamine therapy for aggressive hepatitis triggered off the development of nephrotic syndrome. Histological findings revealed membranous glomerulonephritis. After the withdrawal of penicillamine therapy, the laboratory results returned to normal. The authors concluded that penicillamine should only be administered in conditions in which other means of therapy prove inefficient (i.e. Wilson's disease, cystinuria associated with calculi).