RESUMO
The case records of seventy-five patients who had systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and renal involvement on renal histology were reviewed. There were 70 females and 5 males and the majority of patients were in their second or third decades of life. It was distinctly uncommon in patients below 10 years of age and above 50 years of age. Over 80 percent of the patients developed renal involvment within one year of diagnosis of SLE. The commonest presenting features were arthritis - 78 percent and rash - 48 percent. The 2 commonest presenting renal features were proteinuria and renal failure - 60 percent and 55 percent respectively. When the renal histology was classified according to the WHO classification, 20 percent had class II, 12 percent had class III, 48 percent had class IV, and 17 percent had class V. Three percent had glomerular sclerosis and so were unclassifiable. The acute nephritic syndrome was seen in 83 percent of class IV cases, whole renal failure was seen in 61 percent of class IV cases. In class V no patient had the acute nephritic syndrome, whereas 62 percent had the nephrotic syndrome and 44 percent had renal failure. The 5 year survival rate was 100 percent in classes II & V combined and sixty-two percent in classes III & IV combined (AU)
