| Additional Info: |
The most common cause of glomerulonephritis world wide with a highly variable course ranging from asymptomatic hematuria to a slow progression to ESRD. Characteristic pathologic findings include messangial proliferation and a granular deposits of IgA and C3 in the glomerular mesangium as seen by immunofluorescence microscopy. EM demonstrates these deposits in the messangium as well as foot process effacement. IgA nephropathy accounts for 10% of all kidney biopsies in the US for glomerular disease. IgA nephropathy can recur in transplant patients suggesting the etiology is at least in part systemic rather than limitted to the kidney. |