[Extramembranous glomerulitis. Apropos of 92 cases]

92 cases of extramembranous glomerulitis (EMG) documented by histology and immunofluorescence have been studied. At the time of renal biopsy the clinical and biologic picture was as follows: no proteinuria in 2%, isolated proteinuria in 18%, nephrotic syndrome without hypertension or azotemia in 41%, and hypertension and/or azotemia associated with proteinuria or nephrotic syndrome in 39%. A possible cause of the EMG was found in 27 cases: it was drug-induced or toxic in 10 instances, paraneoplastic in 7, lupus in 5 and parasitic (loasis) in 5.65 cases are regarded as idiopathic. The evolution is known in 66 cases and varies with the etiology: it is usually benign in secondary forms except the paraneoplastic cases. In the idiopathic forms it results in hypertension or more or less severe chronic renal failure in 62% of cases. The prognosis cannot be established on the basis of the initial histology. No treatment has proved effective.