[Follow-up of Wegener's granulomatosis with kidney involvement]

It is reported on long-term courses in five patients with Wegener's granulomatosis. Under a treatment with glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agents lasting several years in all cases a remission developed. In these cases the participation of the kidneys is fateful, whereby from the very beginning a large proportion of sclerosing glomeruli lead to a greater healing of the defect. While the troubles of the patients under the apparently at present unspecific effect of high doses of prednisolone disappear within a few weeks, the onset of the remission lasts at least nine months. It is tried to form criteria which indicate a remission. The treatment with a low maintenance dose for at least one year after the remission seems to be justified in consideration of the frequency of recidivations.