ABSTRACT
Nephrotic syndrome is the most common chronic renal disease in children. Mostly, it is controlled by steroids. Many underlying pathologies exist in patients with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome [SRNS]. Among them are 'focal segmental glomerulosclerosis [FSGS] and 'minimal change disease' [MCD]. Examining patients' clinicopathologic characteristics can be helpful by giving an insight into the etiology of steroid resistance and determining patient prognosis. This cross-sectional study was performed in 'Children's Medical Center' between 2001 and 2011. From 150 patients biopsied, seventy-one children with SRNS, aged 1-14 years, were included. Among 150 patients biopsied, 71 children [47.3%] had steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome. Forty-four [62%] of these were boys. Upon pathologic investigation of SRNS cases, FSGS came in first, with the highest prevalence at a rate of 32.4%, and MGN came in last, at a rate of 5.6%. The mean age of disease onset was 4.7 years and the mean age of undergoing biopsy was six years.In this study, the predominant pathologic pattern of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome was FSGS, a finding similar to that of most studies conducted in this field. MCD was observed in 21.1% of patients, which indicates the variety in reporting renal lesions, particularly, regarding the diagnoses of MCD, mesangio-proliferative glomerulonephritis and early stages of FSGS