IgA nephropathy is not a rare disease in the United Kingdom.
A retrospective analysis of all renal biopsies performed in the Grampian Region of Scotland during 1977-1980 revealed that IgA nephropathy was the most frequently encountered glomerular lesion. The commonest indications for renal biopsy were the presence of asymptomatic urinary abnormalities (90/184; 48.9%) especially asymptomatic haematuria (42/184; 22.8%). A histological diagnosis was made in 36 of the 42 patients presenting with asymptomatic haematuria (85.7%); 16 of the 26 cases of IgA nephropathy presented in this way. Overall, IgA nephropathy was detected in 14.1% of all biopsies and accounted for 21.8% of primary glomerular diseases. This study indicates that IgA nephropathy is apparently more common in Grampian than elsewhere in the United Kingdom. However, it is suggested that this does not represent a true variation in the prevalence of the condition; IgA nephropathy is probably a common cause of haematuria in the United Kingdom.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005922:Glomerulonephritis, IGA / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006417:Hematuria / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors