[What to call glomerulonephritis: controversial problems of classification].

Basing on the general pathologic definition "glomerulonephritis" the authors analyse its modern morphologic classifications and arrive at a conclusion that minimal changes (lipoid nephrosis), membranous glomerulopathy and focal segmental glomerular hyalinosis should be excluded from the group of glomerulonephritis. These diseases form the group of primary nephrotic syndrome. Glomerulonephritis group is represented by the following morphologic forms: proliferative (endo- and extracapillary, mesangioproliferative and mesangiocapillary) and sclerosing (fibroplastic) glomerulonephritis. Each of these forms can reflect the peculiarities of etiology (the presence of infection), pathogenesis (the character of the immunopathologic process), morphology (type and the degree of glomerular inflammation extension), clinical manifestations (degree of renal and extrarenal symptoms) of glomerulonephritis, its course (acute, subacute, chronic) and prognosis.