Adult nephrotic syndrome in Ibadan, Nigeria: A prospective study of 135 cases.

One hundred and thirty-five adult patients admitted into the medical wards with the nephrotic syndrome have been studied over a period of 3 years. The histopathology in eighty-one renal biopsies showed predominantly proliferative glomerulonephritis. Nine patients had filariasis and in six of these the microfilaria isolated was Loa loa. Six patients had malarial parasitaemia; of these, three had P. malariae infection. Urinary schistosomiasis was diagnosed in four patients. Twenty-seven patients were noted to be hypertensive and 104 patients had some degree of impairment of renal function. A total of nine deaths was recorded (6-7%) in the 3-year period. The significance of these results is discussed.