Alport syndrome: clinical experience with 21 paediatric patients

The clinical, histological and genetic features of Alport syndrome are presented and illustrated by our experience with 21 paediatric patients seen over the last 22 years. From the 15 boys, 7 went into end-stage renal failure before the age of 20 years. In the 6 girls, the symptomatology was limited to permanent haematuria and mild proteinuria.

Alport syndrome should be included in the differential diagnosis of permanent haematuria even in the absence of any suggestive familial antecedent.