[Morphology of diabetic nephropathy (author's transl)]

Renal complications occur frequently in diabetics. Glomerular lesions exist in basal membrane thickening, diffuse and nodular glomerulosclerosis, exudative lesions and glomerular aneurysms. Tubular and interstitial changes are characterized by Armanni-Ebstein cells, by pyelonephritis and papillary necroses. Vascular changes occur in the form of arteriosclerosis and arteriolosclerosis. Nodular glomerulosclerosis is characteristic of diabetic renal damage, all other changes only occur more frequently in diabetics. Recently, studies deserve attention which suggest a regression of glomerular lesions if the diabetic metabolism is normalized.