2004 Volume 43 Issue 8 Pages 708-712
A 60-year-old woman who was diagnosed with hereditary angioedema (HAE) developed nephrotic syndrome, with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) occurring about 2.5 years later. During her slide toward ESRD, she experienced three severe episodes of angioedema that each resulted in significant fluid retention. Though the therapeutic administration of C1-inhibitor concentrate was effective in controlling her angioedema, seemed ineffective in preventing her from developing ESRD requiring hemodialysis treatment. We theorized that the patient’s low colloid osmolality and glomerular perfusion were important facilitators of her attacks of angioedema.