A short survey is given on important pathomorphologic renal lesions in
diabetics, particularly diabetic glomerulosclerosis including aspects
on the development of its alterations. The frequency of renal complic
ations in autopsy material of 400 diabetics is reported as well as the
occurrence of typical and atypical lesions in a series of 267 biopsy
specimens from diabetic patients. In about 60% of this biopsy series s
emithin sections with silver staining and/or immunohistology could be
used which allowed a much more precise diagnosis including the recogni
tion of atypical lesions in diabetics, e.g. glomerulonephritis and the
combination of glomerulosclerosis and glomerulonephritis. Therefore,
the necessity to apply additional morphological techniques in biopsy m
aterial is emphasized.