Lipoid nephrosis and focal glomerulosclerosis.

Forty-one renal biopsies from 34 patients presenting over a 7-year period with the nephrotic syndrome or significant proteinuria and considered initially to be cases of lipoid nephrosis have been reviewed, and the results correlated with clinical findings. Lipoid nephrosis was confirmed in 25 of the patients (20 males, 5 females) 6 of whom showed a small proportion of completely sclerosed glomeruli. Twenty-two of these patients were in remission at the time of review. Nine of the patients (4 males, 5 females) showed features typical of focal glomerulosclerosis; only 4 of these were in remission, 4 showed continuing proteinuria, and one had died. The study emphasizes the importance and problems of distinguishing lipoid nephrosis from focal glomerulosclerosis.