Retroperitoneal Bleeding: An Experience During Prophylactic Anticoagulation in a Patient With Nephrotic Syndrome

Risk of Arterial Thromboembolism, Venous Thromboembolism, and Bleeding in Patients with Nephrotic Syndrome: A Population-Based Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Although venous thromboembolism is a well-known complication of nephrotic syndrome, the long-term absolute and relative risks of arterial thromboembolism, venous thromboembolism, and bleeding in adults with nephrotic syndrome remain unclarified.

METHODS

In this matched cohort study, we identified every adult with first-time recorded nephrotic syndrome from admissions, outpatient clinics, or emergency department visits in Denmark during 1995-2018. Each patient was matched by age and sex with 10 individuals from the general population. We estimated the 10-year cumulative risks of recorded arterial thromboembolism, venous thromboembolism, and bleeding accounting for the competing risk of death. Using Cox models, we computed crude and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of the outcomes in patients with nephrotic syndrome versus comparators.

RESULTS

Among 3967 adults with first-time nephrotic syndrome, the 1-year risk of arterial thromboembolism was 4.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.6-4.8), of venous thromboembolism was 2.8% (95% CI 2.3-3.3), and of bleeding was 5.2% (95% CI 4.5-5.9). The 10-year risk of arterial thromboembolism was 14.0% (95% CI 12.8-15.2), of venous thromboembolism 7.7% (95% CI 6.8-8.6), and of bleeding 17.0% (95% CI 15.7-18.3), with highest risks of ischemic stroke (8.1%), myocardial infarction (6.0%), and gastrointestinal bleeding (8.2%). During the first year, patients with nephrotic syndrome had increased rates of both arterial thromboembolism (adjusted HR [HR_adj] = 3.11 [95% CI 2.60-3.73]), venous thromboembolism (HR_adj = 7.11 [5.49-9.19]), and bleeding (HR_adj = 4.02 [3.40-4.75]) compared with the general population comparators after adjusting for confounders.

CONCLUSION

Adults with nephrotic syndrome have a high risk of arterial thromboembolism, venous thromboembolism, and bleeding compared with the general population. The mechanisms and consequences of this needs to be clarified.

Acquired von Willebrand Syndrome Complicating Nephrotic Syndrome: A Case of a Patient With Membranous Nephropathy

Acquired von Willebrand syndrome (AVWS) is a rare clinical entity presenting with heterogeneous hemorrhagic manifestations, although some subsets of patients with AVWS may be asymptomatic until they are exposed to major trauma, an invasive procedure, or surgery. We herein report one such case in a 73-year-old male patient with nephrotic syndrome with a prolonged active partial thromboplastin time. We initially did not deal with this distinct abnormal clotting profile seriously, but persistent bleeding after a retroperitoneoscopic-assisted renal biopsy that allowed us to ascribe his nephrotic syndrome to membranous nephropathy fortuitously led to the discovery of concurrent AVWS. We feel that an accurate and prompt diagnosis as well as awareness of the disease remain a challenge for physicians and therefore strongly recommend the further accumulation of experiences similar to our own in a prospective manner. This report underscores the pitfalls associated with determining the bleeding risk, including an insufficient assessment and improper weighting of an abnormal clotting profile prior to the invasive procedure. Several management concerns that emerged in the current case are also discussed.