Successful renal transplantation following hemodialysis as bridging therapy in a patient with Fechtner syndrome: a case report and literature review

Abstract

Abstract Background Fechtner syndrome, also referred to as nonmuscle myosin heavy chain 9-related disease (MYH9-RD), is an autosomal-dominant genetic disorder. It is caused by abnormalities in the MYH9 gene, which encodes the nonmuscle conventional (class II) myosin heavy chain A (NMMHC-IIA). Its clinical manifestations include mild macrothrombocytopenia with leukocyte inclusions, hearing loss, cataracts, and renal failure. Case presentation We present the case of a 34-year-old female patient with Fechtner syndrome in whom end-stage renal disease (ESRD) developed. During childhood, she presented with the typical symptoms of MYH9-RD, including thrombocytopenia, leukocyte inclusion bodies, onset of nephropathy, sensorineural hearing loss, and cataracts, wherein a clinical diagnosis of Fechtner syndrome was established. Her renal function deteriorated during adolescence. Furthermore, the patient underwent renal biopsy at the age of 18 years, which revealed focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. She was started on hemodialysis at the age of 33 years, followed by a living-donor renal transplantation after 5 months. She achieved a target platelet count of 50 × 109/L for arteriovenous fistula creation and 100 × 109/L for renal transplantation via platelet transfusions. Heparin use was avoided as an anticoagulant during hemodialysis. Since the patient expressed a desire for childbearing, genetic testing was performed, revealing an in-frame deletion of 21 nucleotides at 3195–3215 in exon 25 (A1065_A1072 del) of NMMHC-IIA, which has been reported to correlate with mild renal dysfunction. Our patient’s condition progressed into ESRD. Although genetic testing techniques have made great strides in recent years, our case clearly presents the difficulty in assuming an association between genetic abnormalities and clinical manifestations. Conclusions Our case may provide further understanding of the management of ESRD in patients with MYH9-RD-related thrombocytopenia based on the results of genetic testing.