TOPIC DISCUSSION: Renal biopsy findings in Diabetics

A recent study looked at patients who had diabetes and had a biopsy at Columbia Univ path registry.
They wanted to see what other findings are seen besides diabetes. Most of these patients had atleast 10 years of diabetes. Prior reports have suggested IgA and Membranous GN as the most common non diabetic findings in these patients.

1. 37% had Diabetic nephropathy
2. 36% had non diabetic renal disease alone
3. 27% had diabetic neph and another disease
4. In the non diabetic renal disease alone:- FSGS , HTN, ATN, IgA neph, membranous GN, Anca disease comprised most of the diagnosis in that order of frequency.
5. ATN was the surprise finding that had not been reported prior reports.

Interesting and useful data. This is probably lower than expected as most that get a biopsy had a clue for an alternate illness in the kidney. The ones that don't get a biopsy also might have dual disease states that often get missed.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23886566