Misdiagnosis of Light Chain Deposition Disease

Background

Mrs W attended her local hospital complaining of a painful leg. She was investigated for a possible DVT and those investigations were negative. However, she was found to have hypertension and elevated creatinine, and was referred back to her GP to investigate the cause. The GP prescribed antihypertensives and arranged investigations, including an ultrasound scan of her kidneys and an ECG. He also arranged blood tests and referred her for a nephrology opinion.

However, before Mrs W could be seen by nephrology, she developed difficulty breathing and attended the same hospital once more. She was told that she was in multiple organ failure. A renal biopsy was undertaken, following which she was told she had diabetes with diabetic nephropathy. She was prescribed insulin and metformin for the diabetes. Within a few months, she required kidney dialysis, and she then underwent a kidney transplant 14 months later, with her partner donating a kidney.

18 months following the kidney transplant, Mrs W underwent a renal biopsy. The biopsy showed that she had myeloma. She underwent a bone marrow biopsy which confirmed the diagnosis and she commenced chemotherapy. The following year, Mrs W underwent stem cell therapy and sadly died a few months later of sepsis and pneumonia.

The claim was pursued on the basis that there had been a medical misdiagnosis of diabetic nephropathy following the renal biopsy, and that the actual diagnosis was Light Chain Deposition Disease. Had the proper diagnosis been made at that stage, the myeloma would have been noted earlier and treated. The delayed treatment had brought forward the need for a renal transplant and also brought forward the date of Mrs W’s death.

Settlement

Liability was admitted before a Letter of Claim was served, and the claim was then settled before the issue of proceedings for £141,858. Unusually, £6,528 was for general damages for Mrs W’s partner who had donated his kidney. £83,590 was for Mrs W and the rest represented special damages.

This case was led by Alan Mendham.

NOTE: While our case studies are designed to give an indication of the outcomes that can be achieved in these circumstances, the compensation awarded in individual medical negligence cases can vary significantly due to a range of factors, including effects on life expectancy, the severity of the negligence that took place, and the financial impact.