RENAL MORPHOLOGY IN ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION - ANALYSIS OF 1177 UNSELECTED CASES

Morphological and clinical analysis of 1177 renal biopsies from nonsel ected patients with essential hypertension revealed compensated benign nephrosclerosis in 775 cases. Decompensated benign nephrosclerosis wa s found in 251 cases, and secondary malignant nephrosclerosis was foun d in 151 cases. This article describes the morphological and clinical features of decompensated benign nephrosclerosis, which has received l ittle recognition until now. The morphological and clinical features o f secondary malignant nephrosclerosis, which is induced by hypertensio n, are also considered. There is also a discussion of the differentiat ion of the latter from primary malignant nephrosclerosis, in which ste nosis of the preglomerular vessels develops in the presence of normal blood pressure and leads secondarily to renal hypertension.