Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2011 Dec 2:2011:bcr0720114531.
doi: 10.1136/bcr.07.2011.4531.

The development of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis secondary to anabolic steroid abuse

Patrick Harrington  1 , Galil Ali, Anthony Chan
Affiliations
Case Reports

The development of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis secondary to anabolic steroid abuse

Patrick Harrington et al. BMJ Case Rep. .

Abstract

The authors present the case of a patient who presented to the nephrology department of a district general hospital with end-stage renal failure. He presented with malignant hypertension and symptoms and signs of uraemia. He also gave a history of prior abuse of anabolic steroids over a number of years. Renal biopsy was performed and the findings were in keeping with a diagnosis of advanced focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The patient went on to require renal replacement therapy within weeks of presentation. The authors suggest that anabolic steroid abuse is a direct cause of FSGS. People with raised body mass index are known to be at increased risk of developing this condition, due to increased haemodynamic stress on the glomeruli, with subsequent development of sclerosis. However, the authors believe that anabolic steroid abuse may be an independent risk factor, and that anabolic steroids have a direct nephrotoxic effect that leads to a more advanced initial presentation with rapid decline in renal function.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests None.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Lindstrom M, Nilsson AL, Katzman PL, et al. Use of anabolic-androgenic steroids among body builders–frequency and attitudes. Journal of Internal Medicine 1999;227:407–11 - PubMed
    1. Herlitz LC, Markowitz GS, Farris AB, et al. Development of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis after anabolic steroid abuse. J Am Soc Nephrol 2010;21:163–72 - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms