Chyluria With Coexisting Minimal Change Disease: An Uncommon Clinical Association
Chyluria is a rare clinical entity defined by the presence of chyle in the urine, classically presenting as milky or cloudy urine. While typically associated with parasitic infections such as <i>Wuchereria bancrofti</i> in endemic regions, non-parasitic causes are less common and diagnostically challenging. We report the case of a 56-year-old male presenting with milky urine, dysuria, urinary hesitancy, and rectal discomfort. Urine triglyceride level was found to be >525 mg/dL (reference range <10 mg/dL). An extensive infectious and parasitic workup was negative. Renal biopsy revealed minimal change disease (MCD), a highly unusual finding in adult-onset chyluria. Although MCD does not cause chyluria, coexisting disease can contribute to urinary protein loss. This case highlights the importance of maintaining a broad differential diagnosis when evaluating urinary discoloration and emphasizes the rare intersection between glomerular disease and lymphatic-urinary communication. Early recognition of atypical presentations is essential to guide appropriate evaluation and prevent complications associated with chronic chyle loss.
Authors
- Juan Ramon Santos Rivera
- Regina J McPherson
- Mehak Sharma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2134-5660)
- Ilya Fonarov
- Nicholas V Manocchio
Institutions
- Ponce Health Sciences University (PR)
- Florida International University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cureus
- Published
- 2025-09-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.92800
- Primary Topic
- Lymphatic Disorders and Treatments
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00