Glomerular morphometry II: familial and nonfamilial haematuria.

Differential glomerular cell counts and measurements of glomerular diameter were made in 13 children with Alport's syndrome (AS), four with benign familial haematuria (BFH) and 15 with nonfamilial haematuria (NFH). Mesangial cellularity was increased in the six cases of NFH with diffuse mesangial deposits of IgA (IgA +). In AS, IgA + and -NFH, epithelial cellularity decreased with age while glomerular diameter increased. In AS mesangial and endothelial cellularity also decreased with age. These findings support the view that AS, IgA + and -NFH are three distinct entities. BFH, although similar in several respects to IgA -NFH, should nevertheless be retained as a separate category by virtue of its familial incidence of haematuria.