[Prognosis in primary glomerulonephritis]

Appraisal of the long-term prognosis of primary glomerulonephritis at the time of diagnosis, i.e. when there are no longitudinal observations, is based on the constellation of clinical findings as well as on the morphological changes in glomeruli and interstitial renal tissue which can be detected in histological examinations of biopsy specimens. A favorable long-term prognosis is to be expected with reasonable probability when 1. an isolated proteinuria of less than 1 g/24 hour and/or erythrocyturia (no cell casts in the sediment) are present in normal kidney function (glomerular filtration rate) as well as normal blood pressure characteristics, and the renal parenchyma shows normal sonographic findings; 2. Only slight mesangial cell proliferations can be detected histologically, and interstitial lesions (cell infiltration, fibrosis) are absent.