A 3-year-old male with proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, and hyperlipidemia is most likely diagnosed with?

The clinical presentation of the 3-year-old male, which includes proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, and hyperlipidemia, aligns closely with the characteristics of primary nephrotic syndrome. This condition is defined by a set of symptoms associated with significant loss of protein in the urine, leading to low levels of albumin in the blood (hypoalbuminemia), as well as compensatory increases in lipids (hyperlipidemia) because the liver produces more lipids in response to low albumin levels.

In young children, primary nephrotic syndrome is often associated with minimal change disease, which is the most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in this age group. It typically manifests with these classic symptoms without the presence of significant inflammation or other systemic disease processes, distinguishing it from other conditions like acute glomerulonephritis, which would typically present with hematuria and possibly hypertension, and would not usually feature hyperlipidemia to the same degree.

Therefore, given the age of the child and the specific laboratory findings of heavy proteinuria, decreased serum albumin, and increased serum lipids, primary nephrotic syndrome is the most likely diagnosis in this scenario.