What Are the Nephrotic Syndrome Diagnostic Tests

If you have symptoms that may signal Nephrotic Syndrome such as edema, foamy urine etc, your doctor will examine you and ask you questions about your health, your medical history and your family history.

The follow diagnostic tests are necessary in diagnosing Nephrotic Syndrome, including:

Urine tests: A urinalysis can reveal abnormalities in your urine like large amounts of protein in urine, if you have Nephrotic Syndrome. You may be asked to collect urine samples over 24 hours for an accurate measure of the protein in your urine.

Blood tests: If you have Nephrotic Syndrome, the protein level in blood is lower than normal. Serum creatinine level and blood urea levels are also measured to assess your overall kidney function.

Kidney biopsy: A biopsy may be recommended to you by your doctor. In this test, a special needle is inserted into your kidney through your skin to collect a sample of kidney tissue for testing.


Immunological test: The above conventional tests only can reflect the severity of renal damage, but can not inspect out the underlying causes of Nephrotic Syndrome. Immunological tests can find the underlying causes of Nephrotic Syndrome thus providing a good guidance to the following treatment. This test is conducted by collecting blood sample.