Skip to main content
Log in

Renal cysts and nephrocalcinosis in a patient with Bartter syndrome type III

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Pediatric Nephrology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Chronic hypokalemia is known to induce renal cyst formation in some diseases including primary aldosteronism, distal renal tubular acidosis, Liddle disease and apparent mineralocorticoid excess syndrome. Although chronic hypokalemia is the main clinical feature of Bartter syndrome, renal cyst formation in this disease has never been reported. We describe a patient with classic Bartter syndrome who exhibited renal cysts and nephrocalcinosis. Direct sequencing analysis of the chloride channel CLC-Kb gene identified a heterozygous nonsense mutation (W610X) in exon 16 indicating a diagnosis of Bartter syndrome type III. Although the precise mechanism underlying the development of renal cysts in our patient remains unclear, chronic hypokalemia and nephrocalcinosis may contribute to cyst development.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1 A

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hebert SC (2003) Bartter syndrome. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens 12:527–532

    Google Scholar 

  2. Rodríguez-Soriano J (1998) Bartter and related syndromes: the puzzle is almost solved. Pediatr Nephrol 12:315–327

    Google Scholar 

  3. Torres VE, Young WF Jr, Offord KP, Hattery RR (1990) Association of hypokalemia, aldosteronism, and renal cysts. N Engl J Med 322:345–351

    Google Scholar 

  4. Alpern RJ, Toto RD (1990) Hypokalemic nephropathy—a clue to cystogenesis? N Engl J Med 322:398–399

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Igarashi T, Shibuya K, Kamoshita S, Higashihara E, Kawato H, Hagishima K, Kosugi T (1991) Renal cyst formation as a complication of primary distal renal tubular acidosis. Nephron 59:75–79

    Google Scholar 

  6. Stewart PM, Edwards CRW (1990) Hypokalemia, aldosteronism and renal cysts. N Engl J Med 323:129–130

    Google Scholar 

  7. Moudgil A, Rodich G, Jordan SC, Kamil ES (2000) Nephrocalcinosis and renal cysts associated with apparent mineralocorticoid excess syndrome. Pediatr Nephrol 15:60–62

    Google Scholar 

  8. Simon DB, Bindra RS, Mansfield TA, Nelson-Williams C, Mendonca E, Stone R, Schurman S, Nayir A, Alpay H, Bakkaloglu A, Rodriguez-Soriano J, Morales JM, Sanjad SA, Taylor CM, Pilz D, Brem A, Trachtman H, Griswold W, Richard GA, John E, Lifton RP (1997) Mutations in the chloride channel gene, CLCNKB, cause Bartter’s syndrome type III. Nat Genet 17:171–178

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Konrad M, Vollmer M, Lemmink HH, van den Heuvel LPWJ, Jeck N, Vargas-Poussou R, Lakings A, Ruf R, Deschênes G, Antignac C, Guay-Woodford L, Knoers NVAM, Seyberth HW, Feldmann D, Hildebrandt F (2000) Mutations in the chloride channel gene CLCNKB as a cause of classic Bartter syndrome. J Am Soc Nephrol 11:1449–1459

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Igarashi T, Kosugi T (1994) The incidence of renal cyst formation in patients with primary distal renal tubular acidosis. Nephron 66:474

    Google Scholar 

  11. Walsh-Reitz MM, Toback FG (1983) Kidney epithelial cell growth is stimulated by lowering extracellular potassium concentration. Am J Physiol 244:C429–C32

    Google Scholar 

  12. Schwasrtz MM (1998) Hypokalemic nephropathy. In: Jennette JC, Olson JL, Schwartz MM, Silva FG (eds) Heptinstall’s pathology of the kidney, 5th edn. Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia, pp 662–665

  13. Torres VE, Mujwid DK, Wilson DM, Holley KH (1994) Renal cystic disease and ammoniagenesis in Han:SPRD rats. J Am Soc Nephrol 5:1193–1200

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Toru Watanabe.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Watanabe, T., Tajima, T. Renal cysts and nephrocalcinosis in a patient with Bartter syndrome type III. Pediatr Nephrol 20, 676–678 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-004-1732-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-004-1732-5

Keywords

Navigation