Clinicopathological characteristics and disease chronicity in native kidney biopsies in Flanders

Background

The Flemish Collaborative Glomerulonephritis Group (FCGG) registry provides complete population data on kidney disease epidemiology in the region of Flanders (Belgium), as it captures all native kidney biopsies performed in its population of 6.5 million inhabitants.

Methods

From 2017 until 2019, 2054 adult kidney biopsies were included from 26 nephrology centers (one biopsy per patient). Data on nephrotic and nephritic syndrome were available in 1992 and 2026 biopsies, respectively. In a subgroup of 898 biopsies containing ≥10 glomeruli from 2018 to 2019, disease chronicity was graded using the Mayo Clinic Chronicity Score (MCCS). The association between clinical variables and MCCS was determined using simple and multiple linear regression models.

Results

Nephrotic syndrome (present in 378 patients, 19.0%) was most frequently caused by minimal change disease in younger patients (18-44 years), membranous nephropathy in older patients (45-74 years) and amyloidosis in the elderly (>75 years). Nephritic syndrome (present in 421 patients, 20.8%) was most frequently caused by immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) in younger patients (18-64 years) and ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) in older patients (>64 years). AAV and IgAN were the most frequent underlying diagnoses in biopsies in which crescents were identified. In multivariable analysis, acute and chronic kidney disease and diagnoses of diabetic kidney disease, nephrosclerosis and hyperoxaluria/hypercalcemic nephropathy were associated with the highest MCCS increases.

Conclusions

The FCGG registry validates data from previous Western European registries and provides a snapshot of disease chronicity in the whole biopsied Flemish population.

Epidemiology of native kidney disease in Flanders: results from the FCGG kidney biopsy registry

Background

The Flemish Collaborative Glomerulonephritis Group (FCGG) registry is the first population-based native kidney biopsy registry in Flanders, Belgium. In this first analysis, we report on patient demographics, frequency distribution and incidence rate of biopsied kidney disease in adults in Flanders.

Methods

From January 2017 to December 2019, a total of 2054 adult first native kidney biopsies were included. A ‘double diagnostic coding’ strategy was used, in which every biopsy sample received a histopathological and final clinical diagnosis. Frequency distribution and incidence rate of both diagnoses were reported and compared with other European registries.

Results

The median age at biopsy was 61.1 years (interquartile range, 46.1–71.7); male patients were more prevalent (62.1%) and biopsy incidence rate was 129.3 per million persons per year. Immunoglobulin A nephropathy was the most frequently diagnosed kidney disease (355 biopsies, 17.3% of total) with a similar frequency as in previously published European registries. The frequency of tubulointerstitial nephritis (220 biopsies, 10.7%) and diabetic kidney disease (154 biopsies, 7.5%) was remarkably higher, which may be attributed to changes in disease incidence as well as biopsy practices. Discordances between histopathological and final clinical diagnoses were noted and indicate areas for improvement in diagnostic coding systems.

Conclusions

The FCGG registry, with its ‘double diagnostic coding’ strategy, provides useful population-based epidemiological data on a large Western European population and allows subgroup selection for future research.

A case of pseudorenal failure - spontaneous rupture of the urinary bladder

A 64-year old woman was admitted to the hospital for severe abdominal pain and distension after gardening and chopping wood the day before. She had a medical history of superficial transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder and a laparoscopic nefro-ureterectomy for an invasive TCC of the upper urothelial tract in 2012. Clinical examination showed an acute abdomen. Laboratory analysis revealed a plasma creatinine level of 4,23 mg/dl. Computed tomography (CT) imaging of the abdomen showed hypodense free intraperitoneal fluid, suspicious for ascites. Serum creatinine level decreased to 1.8 mg/dl after placement of a urinary catheter. Laparoscopic exploration revealed a perforated ulcer in the urinary bladder dome, the intraperitoneal fluid showed abnormally high levels of urea and creatinine, confirming uroperitoneum. This case shows that uroperitoneum must be in-cluded in the differential diagnosis of patients with diffuse/acute abdominal pain, abdominal distension and elevated levels of serum creatinine, and that vigilance is indicated.

Secondary Renal Amyloidosis due to Long-Standing Tubulointerstitial Nephritis in a Patient With Sjögren Syndrome

A 53-year-old patient with long-standing primary Sjögren syndrome presented with acute renal failure and nephrotic syndrome caused by secondary (AA) renal amyloidosis. Ten years before, he had been admitted because of exacerbation of the systemic disease. At that time, a pseudolymphoma of the kidney was diagnosed. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient with primary Sjögren syndrome and secondary (AA) amyloidosis with amyloid deposition in the kidneys causing nephrotic syndrome.