Cavitating pulmonary infarction in nephrotic syndrome.

A 6-year-old boy was admitted with anasarca due to relapse of nephrotic syndrome, non-productive cough, and dyspnea on exertion. On the 8th hospital day he manifested severe right shoulder and chest pain. A nodular opacity in the right lung that transformed into a cavitating lesion was documented by computerized axial tomography. Surgical biopsy of the affected area of the lung documented infarction due to pulmonary embolism. This case highlights the need to consider pulmonary embolism in the evaluation of nephrotic children with a cavitating pulmonary lesion.