Pattern of glomerulonephritis in Sudan: histopathological and immunofluorescence study

The final diagnosis of renal disease can only be established with the study of renal biopsy using light microscopy, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. This study reports on the pattern of glomerulonephritis, diagnosed with light microscopy and immunofluorescence, in two major nephrology referral centers in Sudan. Renal biopsies from 86 consecutive patients were studied by light and immunofluorescence microscopy. The latter was introduced for the first time in the country. Focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, minimal change disease and rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis accounted for 26.6%, 22.1%, 10.5% and 3.5% of cases respectively. Lupus nephritis was the commonest cause of secondary glomerulonephritis, accounting for 11.6% of cases. In contrast to the frequency seen in developed countries, IgA nephropathy was uncommon in our series and was seen in only 4.7% of cases. Primary renal amyloidosis was diagnosed in 3.5% of the patients. The pattern of glomerulonephritis in our series is similar to the reports from other developing countries with focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis being the commonest primary glomerulopathy and lupus nephritis, the commonest secondary glomerulopathy.