title: Idiopathic focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: a favourable prognosis in untreated patients?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) are considered to have a poor prognosis and spontaneous remissions are seldom reported. However, FSGS is not a single disease entity. Our aim was to describe the clinical course in initially untreated patients with recently diagnosed idiopathic FSGS.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study of patients with a diagnosis of FSGS by histology, who fulfilled the following criteria: proteinuria >3.5 g/day, normal renal function, duration of proteinuria or hypertension of less than one year, normal-sized kidneys, no underlying renal disease, and a negative family history. Renal biopsies were reviewed without knowledge of the clinical course.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty patients (13 male, 7 female) fulfilled the study criteria. Median age was 49.3 (range 21.8 to 73.0) years, serum creatinine 90 +/- 20 micromol/l, proteinuria 10.0 +/- 5.5 g/day and serum albumin 24 +/- 6 g/l. After a median follow-up of 9.4 (2.1-18.6) years, 13 patients (65%) were in remission of proteinuria. Renal function deterioration occurred in seven patients, and prompted treatment in four of them. The ten-year death-censored renal survival was 89%. Renal function deterioration and remission rate could be predicted by selectivity index, serum albumin at three months after renal biopsy and the percentage of glomeruli with segmental sclerosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Focal glomerulosclerosis is not a single disease. Case definition using strict clinical criteria identifies a subgroup of patients with idiopathic FSGS who have a good prognosis. In the majority of these patients immunosuppressive therapy is not warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. j.deegens@nier.umcn.nl
authors.forename: J K J
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Deegens
authors.forename: K J M
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Assmann
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Steenbergen
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Hilbrands
authors.forename: P G G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Gerlag
authors.forename: J L J
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: J F M
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Wetzels
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000075202:Contraindications; D005260:Female; D005923:Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents