Abstract
BACKGROUND Complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (cTMA), is a genetic disease that results when an unchecked alternative complement pathway is triggered by an external factor, resulting in endothelial cell injury with microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure, though other organ systems may be involved. CASE REPORT A 5-year-old girl presented with non-bloody diarrhea, hemolysis, renal failure, and thrombocytopenia. She was negative for Shiga toxin. She was diagnosed with cTMA, and this diagnosis was confirmed later by a mutation in the complement factor H (CFH) gene. The patient was started on eculizumab 8 weeks after onset of symptoms. A month later, she was able to stop hemodialysis. Eculizumab was given for a year, and then, because of clinical remission, was stopped. At the time of stopping hemodialysis, serum creatinine was 2.07 mg/dL; at the end of eculizumab therapy, it was 1.23 mg/dL. Now, 10 years later, it is 1.10 mg/dL. Glomerular filtration rate by Schwartz equation was 52 mL/min/1.73 m² after eculizumab and 60 mL/min/1.73 m² currently. The cTMA lab parameters normalized after 2 doses of eculizumab and have remained normal for 10 years. Two years ago, on routine ultrasound, renal cysts were noted. Recent genetic testing re-confirmed the CFH mutation and additionally showed a polycystic kidney disease (PKD1) mutation. Notably, there is no family history of either. Currently, the patient has mild proteinuria. CONCLUSIONS Instead of lifelong eculizumab treatment, we successfully managed the patient's condition with a year of eculizumab and intensive followup on sixty occasions over a decade. This approach can work if there are no relapses. Genetic tests revealed mutations for cTMA and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD)/PKD1 in the same patient. These have not been reported before, to the best of our knowledge.