Pulmonary embolism in a child of nephrotic syndrome: A rare but serious complication

Abstract

Thromboembolic complications are well-documented but rare complications of nephrotic syndrome (NS). NS is a hypercoagulable state associated with venous and rarely, arterial thromboembolism with an estimated risk of up to 1.8–5%. We report a case of a 10-year-old boy who was a known case of NS with frequent relapses that had a massive pulmonary embolism, although clinical signs and symptoms were minimal. Raised D-dimer and computed tomography pulmonary angiography established the definitive diagnosis. The child was started on low molecular weight heparin treatment and responded well.