Renal Pathologist, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. I love kidneys. Tweets are my own, not medical advice.

Rochester Minnesota
Joined November 2017
Sometimes you are able to share everything you love and treasure in one single shot. My ❤️ space ⁦@MayoClinicPath⁩ ⁦@MayoClinic⁩
11
3
134
9,794
Priya Alexander, MD retweeted
Ten minutes before the World Trade Center’s south tower fell, a colleague saw Rick Rescorla running back into the building’s stairwell. The colleague told Rescorla to flee. “I will as soon as I make sure everyone else is out,” he said. Not long before, he had placed a call to his wife. “Stop crying,” Rescorla said. “I have to get these people out safely. If something should happen to me, I want you to know I’ve never been happier. You made my life.” Tap the link in our bio to read about the Vietnam veteran who saved hundreds of lives on September 11th, and died trying to save more. “For Rick Rescorla, this was a natural death,” his best friend said—a hero’s end. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/ZO…
17
317
30
1,778
329,301
To confirm the interstitial amyloid was ALECT2 amyloid. The patient was Hispanic. ALECT2 was likely an incidental finding. Check out this very timely publication ⬇️ Co-occurrence of systemic anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associa… sciencedirect.com/science/ar…
Every biopsy teaches me something. 1. Don’t be restricted by the clinical presentation. Expect the unexpected. 2. A limited biopsy can still be worth a million 💰 Bx shows: FSGS ( no ANCA crescents) Now see arrows. Now see Congo red. Interstitial amyloid (not AL).
6
29
2,287
I have often paused thinking a case has fine dusting only to note that there is a generalized tissue ANA effect ( as seen here). Just wanted to raise awareness to what is a probably well recognized diagnostic pitfall.
Immunofluorescence image of a glomerulus seen on this IgG stained section. Patient has lupus with proteinuria. Thoughts?
4
9
33
2,635
Immunofluorescence image of a glomerulus seen on this IgG stained section. Patient has lupus with proteinuria. Thoughts?
1
7
1
21
5,041
Every biopsy teaches me something. 1. Don’t be restricted by the clinical presentation. Expect the unexpected. 2. A limited biopsy can still be worth a million 💰 Bx shows: FSGS ( no ANCA crescents) Now see arrows. Now see Congo red. Interstitial amyloid (not AL).
A patient who 7 years prior had renal bx proven ANCA vasculitis (MPO) ( was treated with Rituximab, now presents with ⬆️ proteinuria and ⬆️ creat. MPO ANCA elevated. Limited sample. Thoughts?
3
12
1
49
5,934
A patient who 7 years prior had renal bx proven ANCA vasculitis (MPO) ( was treated with Rituximab, now presents with ⬆️ proteinuria and ⬆️ creat. MPO ANCA elevated. Limited sample. Thoughts?
2
9
1
29
6,721
Priya Alexander, MD retweeted
When is thrombosis merely coincidental with an M-protein, and in which thrombotic disorders is there evidence that the M-protein itself can be pathogenic? In our new review doi.org/10.1002/ajh.70467, we propose a framework for Monoclonal Gammopathy of Thrombotic Significance.
4
23
5
68
19,872
Priya Alexander, MD retweeted
We already recognize: - Kidney → MGRS - Nervous system → MGNS - Skin → MG cutaneous significance So what about thrombosis → MGTS? The challenge: thrombosis is common, multifactorial, and rarely diagnostically specific.
1
15
47
2,767
Excellent time last week at ADLM with our outstanding colleagues from Mayo Clinic Supply Chain Management. So much to learn from the wonderful Mayo DLMP team that functions forcefully and silently in the background. Teamwork and excellence at play every day.
8
779
The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is, in fact, the most precious and valuable possession of mankind." – Theodorus Gaza, a Greek humanist and translator of Aristotle Sasha Alexander ❤️ 2013-2026.
10
4
71
962
In my years of staring at EMs I have never encountered an “Asteroid” body. In case you have not either:
Necrosis granulomatous interstitial nephritis: often infections, such as TB. Sarcoidosis = commonly non-necrotizing granulomatous. This renal bx shows large nodular foci of necrosis and granulomata + large MN giant cells. Case of sarcoidosis. @Renalpathsoc #Asteroid body
1
11
36
2,002
Disrupted microtubule dynamics incriminated in Asteroid body formation Gadde PS, Moscovic EA. Asteroid bodies: products of unusual microtubule dynamics in monocyte-derived giant cells. An immunohistochemical study. Histol Histopathol. 1994 Oct;9(4):633-42. PMID: 7894135.
4
141
Necrosis granulomatous interstitial nephritis: often infections, such as TB. Sarcoidosis = commonly non-necrotizing granulomatous. This renal bx shows large nodular foci of necrosis and granulomata + large MN giant cells. Case of sarcoidosis. @Renalpathsoc #Asteroid body
1
14
1
40
3,762
So, in summary Occam’s razor would have failed us here. This is in fact supportive of the philosophy of Saint and Hickam. Great reading here 👇🏼 Occam's Razor versus Saint's Triad | New England Journal of Medicine nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NE…
Replying to @MPAlexanderMD
Now see the weak PAS positive material in glomeruli and interstitium. Congo red highlights the sneaky, deposits of amyloid- everywhere! Amyloid on mass spectrometry was ALECT-2 (Leucocyte chemotactic factor-2) type. Dx: DM, autoimmune and ALECT2 amyloid
1
5
20
2,379
1/3: A middle-aged lady with diabetes presented with worsening creatinine & increasing proteinuria. She had hypocomplementemia & ++ANA. Bx: Nodular glomerulosclerosis , interstitial inflammation, & IF: immune deposits: glomerular & interstitial Dx: Diabetic GS & auto immune GN
1
11
1
41
1,970
As expected EM shows nodular mesangium and immune complexes and TRI. Ockham’s razor However not as simple as that: Amyloid fibrils also present. So, let’s revisit the light microscopy.
1
11
458
Now see the weak PAS positive material in glomeruli and interstitium. Congo red highlights the sneaky, deposits of amyloid- everywhere! Amyloid on mass spectrometry was ALECT-2 (Leucocyte chemotactic factor-2) type. Dx: DM, autoimmune and ALECT2 amyloid
1
1
1
17
2,794
Priya Alexander, MD retweeted
Presented at #ERA26: In adults without diabetes who had chronic kidney disease, the nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone led to a slower decrease in the estimate glomerular filtration rate than placebo over 32 months. Full phase 3 FIND-CKD trial results: nej.md/4wWOFV4 @ERAkidney
2
38
8
109
31,876