Abstract

461 cases of renal biopsy specimens were summerized correlated with their light microscopic and immunofluorescence findings, which obtained from Jan. 1981 to Jul. 1986 at Department of Pathology, Kyung Hee School of Medicine, The results were as follws: 1) The incidence of IgM nephropathy was about 5.8% of the primary glomerulopathy. 2) Sex distribution showed male preponderance with male: female ratio of 1.7:1. 3) Age distribution were 0-9 years 7.4%, 10-19 years 29.6%, 20-29 years 37.0%, 30-39 years 7.4%, 40-49 years 7.4% and 50-59 years 11.1%. 4) The clinical symptoms were gross hematuria 7.4%, microscopic hematuria 59.2%, proteinuria (nonnephrotic) 37.0%, nephrotic syndrome 55.5%, hypertension 7.8% and edema 59.2%. 5) 9 cases (33.3%) had past histories of upper respiratory infections. 6) The distributions of the light microscopic deagnosis were minimal histologic change 11 cases (40.7%), focal glomerulonephritis 7 cases (25.9%), measangial proliferative glomerulonephritis 5 cases (18.5%), focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis 1 case (3.7%) and poststreptococla glomerulonephritis 1 case (3.7%). 7) Immunofluorescence study showed significant diffuse mesangial granular deposits of IgM and C3 in all of the 27 cases. 8) It was demonstrated that in the patients with nephrotic syndrome, the prognosis for the patients with IgM deposition were less favorable than those without IgM deposition.