Renal abnormality in leprosy.

Adequate kidney biopsy was studied in 54 cases of leprosy, of which 45 were of lepromatous leprosy, 4 of tuberculoid type and 5 belonged to borderline type of leprosy. Membranous glomerulonephritis (31.5%) was the commonest type of glomerular lesion followed by mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (11.1). It is concluded that renal lesions can occur in any type of leprosy. Reaction of renal tissues to M. leprae could be due to various local immunologic or physiological factors.