ABSTRACT
We retrospectively studied 11 patients with IgA nephropathy admitted into the Department of Pediatrics, Siriraj Hospital from 1983 to 1993. These patients represented 2 percent of 552 patients with glomerular disease admitted at the same duration. Female to male ratio was 1.75 : 1. Average age of onset was 98.5 months (range 46-144 months). Common manifestations included macroscopic hematuria (72.7 percent), microscopic hematuria 1 patient (9.1 percent), edema (27.3 percent) and nephritic syndrome (18.2 percent). Proteinuria was found in 4 patients (36.2 percent) and 3 patients (27.2 percent) had increased serum creatinine concentration at the time of diagnosis. Serum immunoglobulin A was increased in 1 of 5 patients studied (20 percent). Percutaneous renal biopsy was performed in all cases. Nine patients had diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis, the rest had focal segmental glomerulonephritis. Both patients with nephritic syndrome were given oral prednisolone and 1 patient with proteinuria and severe renal pathology was given the combination of prednisolone and cyclophosphamide, all responded well. Seven patients had been followed up for 1 to 9 years. Three patients (42.8 percent) had increased serum creatinine. We suggest that urine protein and renal function should be measured in all patients with IgA nephropathy at diagnosis and followed up periodically. We also recommend the use of prednisolone in patients with IgA nephropathy who presented with nephritic syndrome.