Analgesic nephropathy. Local experience in Bloemfontein

In a prospective study we found analgesic nephropathy (AN) to be responsible for approximately 13% of all cases of end-stage renal disease being treated at our renal unit in Bloemfontein. There seemed to be a lack of awareness of this preventable cause of chronic renal failure among the general public and the medical profession alike. The study also confirms previous reports regarding the potential reversibility of AN and its association with peptic ulcer disease and urothelial cancer. Certain cystoscopic and histological changes in the bladder urothelium were present in varying combinations in all our patients with AN and these may be regarded as specific and more objective aids in establishing this elusive diagnosis.