THE PATTERN OF GLOMERULAR-DISEASE IN NEW-CALEDONIA - PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

Two hundred and two renal biopsies from 181 patients in New Caledonia were classified into either primary glomerulonephritis or glomerulopat hy associated with systemic disease. These were then compared with 670 similar biopsies from 634 inpatients at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH). The most prevalent primary glomerular disease among t he New Caledonian cases was focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, compar ed with IgA disease among the RPAH cases, Mesangiocapillary glomerulon ephritis, post-infectious glomerulonephritis and minimal lesion nephro pathy were all relatively commoner among the New Caledonian biopsies, but the numbers were small, The most prevalent systemic glomerulopathy in the New Caledonian cases was amyloidosis. This was the least commo n among our RPAH group, Diabetes mellitus and lupus nephritis were als o slightly more common in the New Caledonian group. Focal necrotizing/ crescentic glomerulonephritis was unusual in the New Caledonian sample s, while it was the most common systemic glomerulopathy among the RPAH group.