Clinical significance of renal biopsy in subacute lupus erythematosus.
The renal biopsy plays an important role in the clinical evaluation of patients with lupus erythematosus.  From numerous studies of renal biopsies in patients with lupus nephritis, it has become clear that although renal lesions are quite varied, the pattern of renal involvement correlates well with the clinical outcome.  The broad spectrum of the lesions seen in lupus nephritis has been attributed to individual differences in the immune response in different patients or in the same patient during the course of illness.  A classification of lupus nephritis authorized by the World Health Organization is presented.  The classification combines all of the morphologic modalities of biopsy interpretation and semiquantitative assessment of activity and chronicity.  The clinical correlation of this histologic classification is emphasized and demonstrates that the specific nature of the renal histopathology can predict both the acute and long term course of renal disease in lupus nephropathy and be useful in determining the management of individual patients.
Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510.
M
M
Kashgarian
D001706:Biopsy; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D014944:World Health Organization