[Post-infection glomerulonephritis. Longitudinal study of 450 cases observed over a period of 12 years].

Clinical and pathological data of 450 children ranging from 1.5 to 16 years of age with acute post-infectious glomerulonephritis observed at the Children's Hospital of Centro Médico de Occidente (IMSS), with a follow-up of 12 years are presented. The outstanding features of this review are the following: a very high incidence of the disease in 1978 and 1979, coinciding with an epidemic of scarlet fever. From 127 patients a renal biopsy was obtained; in 79.5% the histological picture srowed proliferative endocapillary glomerulonephritis (PEG), 5.5% corresponded to focal proliferative endo and extracapillary glomerulonephritis (FPEEG), 11% were diffuse proliferative endo and extracapillary crescent-forming glomerulonephritis (DPEEG) and 3.9% membranoproliferative glomerulonephriteis (MPG). On clinical basis, the evolution of the disease through a 12 years follow-up period has demonstrated normal renal function in 91% of all patients. Correlation of the results of histologic examination with the clinical course of the disease have demonstrated a good prognosis in PEG, whereas DPEEG and MPG have shown a poor evolution. The data here presented confirms the usefulness of the renal biopsy to predict the clinical evolution of post-infectious glomerulonephritis.