TERMINAL RENAL-FAILURE IN TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS

A now 33-year-old woman first had psychomotor seizures at the age of 3 years. At 9 years tuberous sclerosis (Bourneville-Pringle disease) was diagnosed, on the basis of sebaceous adenoma, white spots of the skin and periventricular cerebral calcifications. Later she developed hyperostoses of the cranium and two periungual fibromas. When aged 23 years she was first noted to have borderline hypertension (145/95 mm Hg) and signs of renal insufficiency which, over the subsequent 10 years, gradually worsened: computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated angiolipomas and cysts. Haemodialysis became necessary when serum creatinine level had risen to 9.0 mg/dl, creatinine clearance to 8 ml/min, with proteinuria of 2660 mg/24 h and metabolic acidosis (pH 7.17, base excess -8.1 mmol). She had no mental retardation nor other neurological deficits and is scheduled to have renal transplantation. There were no hamartomas in other organs.