Teenager Survives with Rare Geneticโฃ Kidney Disease,โ Awaits Transplant
A 16-year-old isโ living without kidneys after a rareโ genetic mutation triggered โคrapid kidney โfailure, highlighting the challenges of diagnosing and treating inherited kidney diseases.โค Wang Rong, of an unspecified location, has been undergoing dialysis โfor years and is currently awaiting a deceased donor kidney transplant-aโ wait that hasโฃ spannedโค eight years.
The case underscores โคthat geneticโ factors โcontribute โto kidney โขdisease โin a importent minority of patients. Professor Ng, who treated Wang Rong, explained that a geneticโข research programme revealed โbetween 10 and 15 percent of patients with kidney conditions have a โgeneticโฃ basis for their illness. โThis revelation led to Wang Rong being tested, ultimately revealing a โrare mutation in the TRPC6 gene, identified in 2005, with its exact prevalence still unknown. The mutation caused the drug used to treat him to becomeโ toxic asโข his kidneys deteriorated.
Wang Rong initially managedโค his condition with dialysis andโค steroid treatment,allowing him to continue playingโ with friends. Though, at age 13, he experienced excruciating leg pain, leading toโข hospitalization and the eventual โฃremoval of both โkidneys due to waste buildup and infection. Following theโ double nephrectomy, he suffered โคsevere headaches from fluctuating blood pressure, now controlled with medication.
Living withoutโ kidneys requires a โฃhighly restricted diet to manage waste and fluids, and strict adherence to a kidney-amiable dialysis plan. โขWang Rongโ mustโ severely limit fluid intake โto โคprevent fluid overload, high blood pressure, and heart failure. He and his parents continue to wait for a suitable โkidney โdonation from a deceased donor.
