Can Adults also Get the Kidney Disease Nephrotic Syndrome?

QUESTION: Is it possible for an adult man to develop a kidney disease called
the "nephrotic" syndrome? My reading about this condition led me to believe
it was only seen in children. Will you please straighten me out?
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ANSWER: I am happy to see you searching for answers on your own, but I am
happy to help. It is true that the nephrotic syndrome is far more common in
children, where we average about two new cases per hundred thousand people per
year in the U.S.A. and the United Kingdom. Looking at the statistics for
adults, we find only three per million people per year of new cases. The
causes of the nephrotic syndrome are many and varied, and can range from
circulatory causes, the ingestion of certain drugs or chemicals which are
called nephrotoxins, as well as allergic manifestations which come from such
ordinary things as bee stings and poison ivy. The diagnosis of this disease
is based upon its clinical features as well as laboratory findings which
result from testing the urine and blood. However, in most cases of adult
nephrotic syndrome, it is important to have a renal biopsy to obtain a small
piece of tissue. This tissue aids in making an accurate diagnosis and helps
choose the correct treatment. With a clearly established diagnosis and
treatment, physicians can predict the prognosis of the disease with greater
accuracy, and relieve some of the doubt and anxiety of the patient and their
families.