SURVIVAL IN IDIOPATHIC GLOMERULONEPHRITIS

Abstract

Actuarial survival was studied in 285 adult patients with idiopathic glomerulonephritis (GN). Minimum follow-up was 7 yr. There were 105 cases of minimal change GN (MC), 22 membranous GN (MGN), 20 acute GN (AGN), 11 mesangial sclerosis GN (MSGN), 28 mesangiocapillary GN (MCGN), 8 crescentic GN (RPGN), 27 unclassifiable GN, 61 focal proliferative GN (FGN) and 3 focal segmental glomerular sclerosis and hyalinosis (FSGSH). Ten year survival was best in FGN (91%) and progressively poorer in MC (90%), AGN (85%), MSGN (83%), MGN (82%), MCGN (62%), unclassifiable GN (37%) and RPGN (16%). One of 3 patients with FSGSH died during follow-up. At 10 yr, survival differed significantly (P < 0.01) from expected in MCGN, RPGN and unclassifiable GN. Because survival was not significantly different from expected in most types of GN, the current classification of GN is probably a crude guide to prognosis. The nephrotic syndrome was found to worsen prognosis in MGN and MCGN.