Epidemiology of glomerular diseases in a Colombian population

Abstract

Background

Glomerular diseases are a diverse group of conditions with variations in clinical presentation, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment. Renal biopsy is essential for determining their aetiology and prognosis.

Objective

To describe the epidemiology of glomerular diseases based on histopathological studies conducted in the Department of Pathology at the School of Medicine, University of Antioquia, Colombia, between 1988 and 2023.

Materials and methods

A retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with glomerular disease who underwent renal biopsy between 1988 and 2023. A descriptive analysis was performed on their sociodemographic, clinical, laboratory, and pharmacological characteristics.

Results

A total of 4567 histopathology reports were analysed. Of these, 56.6% were from women, with an average age of 32 years. Nephrotic syndrome was the most common indication for renal biopsy (35.0%). Lupus nephritis was the most prevalent diagnosis (28.2%), followed by focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (16.6%). In adults, lupus nephritis and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis were the most frequent diagnoses, while in children, minimal change disease and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis were the most common.

Conclusions

The type of glomerular disease varies according to sociodemographic factors such as age and sex. Lupus nephritis and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis were the most common glomerular diseases. The main indications for biopsy were nephrotic syndrome and abnormal urinary sediment.