Minimal Change Disease
The most common form of the nephrotic syndrome in children is called minimal change disease. Doctors do not know what causes it. The condition is called minimal change disease because children with this form of the nephrotic syndrome have normal or nearly normal biopsies. If your child is diagnosed with minimal change disease, the doctor will probably prescribe prednisone, which belongs to a class of drugs called corticosteroids.Prednisone stops the movement of protein from the blood into the urine, but it does have side effects that the doctor will explain. Following the doctor's directions exactly is essential to protect your child's health. The doctor may also prescribe another type of drug called a diuretic, which reduces the swelling by helping the child urinate.
When protein is no longer present in the urine, the doctor will begin to reduce the dosage of prednisone. This process takes several weeks. Some children never get sick again, but most do develop swelling and protein in the urine again, usually following a viral illness. However, as long as the child continues to respond to prednisone and the urine becomes protein free, he or she has an excellent long-term outlook without kidney damage.
Children who relapse frequently, or who seem to be dependent on prednisone or have side effects from it, may be given a second type of drug called a cytotoxic agent. The agents most frequently used are cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil, and cyclosporine.
After reducing protein in the urine with prednisone, the doctor may prescribe the cytotoxic agent for a while. Treatment with cyclophosphamide and chlorambucil usually lasts for 8 to 12 weeks, while treatment with cyclosporine frequently takes longer. The good news is that most children "outgrow" this disease by their late teens with no permanent damage to their kidneys.