Kidney nontumor / medical renal
Monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance (MGRS) / paraprotein-related kidney disease
Heavy chain deposition disease
Author: Nikhil Sangle, M.D.
Last author update: 1 September 2012
Last staff update: 10 September 2021
Copyright: 2003-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Heavy chain deposition disease [title] kidney pathology
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Case reports | Microscopic (histologic) images | Immunofluorescence descriptionCite this page: Sangle N. Heavy chain deposition disease. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/kidneyheavychaindepositiondisease.html. Accessed December 18th, 2024.
Definition / general
- Lymphoplasmacytic neoplasm that produces an abnormally truncated immunoglobulin heavy chain protein that lacks associated light chains (eMedicine: Gamma Heavy Chain Disease [Accessed 17 January 2018])
- Less common than light chain deposition disease
- May have milder hematological disorders than in light chain deposition disease (Clin Nephrol 2009;71:9)
- Associated with various lymphoproliferative disorders, but usually has features overlapping with cases previously reported as "vaguely nodular, polymorphous" lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (Am J Surg Pathol 2012;36:534)
Case reports
- 51 year old man with linear deposits of gamma 4 heavy chains along glomerular, tubular and vascular basement membrane and in mesangial regions (Mod Pathol 1994;7:874)
- 68 year old woman with gamma 1 heavy chain disease (Intern Med 2010;49:1411)
- Monotypic mu heavy chain mesangial deposits causing nodular glomerulosclerosis in woman without evident hematopoietic malignancy (Hum Pathol 2000;31:122)
- Follow up biopsy post chemotherapy showed remarkable diminution of both nodular glomerular lesions and IgG heavy chain deposits (Clin Nephrol 2008;69:383)
Microscopic (histologic) images
Images hosted on other servers:
Various images
Immunofluorescence description
- IgG heavy chains along glomerular, tubular and vascular basement membranes and in mesangium
- No light chain deposition
