[Collapsing glomerulopathy: a new entity associated with nephrotic syndrome and end-stage renal failure]

Collapsing glomerulopathy is an aggressive form of glomerular disease defined for its histopathological features of glomerular collapse, visceral epithelial cell damage and tubulointerstitial changes that are characteristic. Patients with collapsing glomerulopathy present with severe nephrotic syndrome, marked proteinuria, generally more than 10 g/day and rapid progression to chronic renal failure, or death due to complications of nephrotic syndrome, despite any form of treatment. Collapsing glomerulopathy presents as de novo or recurrent disease in the renal allograft. There is slight predominance in males and strong predominance in blacks as renal diseases in general. Collapsing glomerulopathy shares several clinical and histopathological features with focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis and HIV-nephropathy; nevertheless, there is enough evidence to support collapsing glomerulopathy as a different entity. It must be mentioned that collapsing glomerulopathy, focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis and HIV-nephropathy may have a similar pathophysiological mechanism of damage to the visceral epithelial cell.