PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Alhasan, Khalid
AU  - Aloudah, Noura M.
AU  - Bakhit, Amaar A.
AU  - Alhamad, Yassin M.
AU  - Chihabeddine, Kechrid M.
AU  - Alfaadhel, Talal A.
AU  - Aljohani, Tariq E.
AU  - Alhozali, Hanadi M.
AU  - Alsuwaida, Abdulkareem O.
TI  - Renal histopathology spectrum in children with kidney diseases in Saudi Arabia, 1998-2017
AID  - 10.15537/smj.2020.4.24999
DP  - 2020 Apr 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 369--375
VI  - 41
IP  - 4
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/41/4/369.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/41/4/369.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2020 Apr 01; 41
AB  - Objectives: To identify the trends in the diagnostic frequency of glomerular disease subtypes by renal biopsy in children in Saudi Arabia over the last 20 years.Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we identified all patients aged <18 years for whom native kidney biopsy was performed between 1998 and 2017. The period during which biopsy was performed (1998-2004, 2005-2011, and 2012-2017) and the demographic information and their association with the prevalence of various glomerular disease subtypes were our primary outcomes.Results: A total of 326 cases with renal biopsy were analyzed; the mean age of participants being 11 years and 45.4% of them were girls. Unexpectedly, secondary glomerulonephritis accounted for 42.3% of the cases, and lupus nephritis was the most common cause noted in 20.7% of the cases. The minimal change and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis were the most common glomerulonephritis in 59% of the cases. The frequency of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis significantly decreased from 15% and 17% in the period prior to 2004 to 3.3% (p=0.003) and 1.7% in 2012-2017 (p<0.001).Conclusions: We found a considerable shift in the frequency of many glomerular disease subtypes in 1998-2017, which make clinical predication of the underlying etiology challenging for clinician. Renal biopsy still remains a critical diagnostic procedure for managing a considerable proportion of renal diseases.