CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL STUDY OF POSTSTREPTOCOCCAL GLOMERULONEPHRITIS IN THE ELDERLY

In order to characterize the clinical features in elderly patients wit h poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN), 31 patients, who were b oth histologically and immunologically proven to be PSGN, were divided up into 3 groups according to age; elderly patients being 55 years or older (n=7), middle-aged patients being 40 to 54 years old (n=7) and younger patients being 20 to 39 years old (n=17). Renal functional imp airment as indicated by serum creatinine levels of over 2.0 mg/dl, dev eloped in 4 of the elderly patients and later completely improved at t he end of the follow-up period (178.9+/-150.7 days). On the other hand , none of the middle-aged and younger patients revealed any renal func tion impairment. Hypertension was observed more frequently in elderly patients than in younger patients, and was 86% and 6% at the time of a dmission, respectively. In addition, 43% of elderly patients remained hypertensive at the time of discharge. There was no difference in tota l protein, ASO, CH50, the degree of proteinuria or proliferative and e xudative features in renal histology among the three groups. None of t he elderly patients with PSGN died or developed persistant renal failu re. In conclusion, elderly patients with PSGN had a high incidence of renal functional impairment and hypertension compared to the younger p atients on admission, however, their short-term prognosis seems to be favorable.