Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis

Two out of five patients with idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis treated at the Aker Hospital, and the Department of Urology, Ullevål Hospital, Oslo, Norway, are reported. They had pronounced early symptoms, similar to collagen disease, and were therefore treated with corticosteroids long before the correct diagnosis was established. The effect of this treatment was immmediate with prompt and striking improvement. Some pathological and immunological considerations are discussed. Serological and histopathological methods, including a mixed agglutination test, were used in order to find an immunological activity, but no such activity could be demonstrated in the present material. Still, the clinical course, the histological appearance, and the excellent therapeutic effect of corticosteroids seem to show a resemblance to connective tissue disorders.