A patient with nephrotic-range proteinuria and focal global glomerulosclerosis.

A young male is evaluated for nephrotic-range proteinuria, hypercalciuria, and an elevated serum creatinine. A renal biopsy is performed and shows focal global glomerulosclerosis. The absence of nephrotic syndrome suggest that glomerulosclerosis was a secondary process. Further analysis of the proteinuria showed it to be due mainly to low-molecular weight proteins. The case illustrates the crucial role of electron microscopy as well as evaluation of the identity of the proteinuria that accompanies a biopsy finding of focal and global or focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis.