ABSTRACT
A study was conducted on chronic renal failure patients treated by medications or by hemodialysis at The Martyr Dr. Khalil Sulaiman Hospital in Jenin city, Palestine, from 1/8/2005 to 1/8/2006 to know the underlying etiology of chronic renal failure. The subjects included were 84 patients. The information was obtained from files of the patients. The diagnosis was based on medical history, laboratory tests, X-rays, CT scans, ultrasound and renal biopsies. The results showed that the three most common causes of chronic renal failure in Jenin district were diabetes mellitus (33.32%), hypertension (16.7%), and chronic glomerulonephritis (13.1%). Inherited kidney diseases formed an important percentage (17.85%) and included primary hyperoxaluria (10.71%), Alport's syndrome (5.95%), and adult polycystic kidney disease (1.19%). These results differ from what is found in most developing countries including many Arab countries where the principal causes of chronic renal failure are chronic glomerulonephritis and interstitial nephritis. The high prevalence of inherited kidney diseases in some families (primary hyperoxaluria and Alport's) syndrome may be explained by the very high prevalence of consanguineous marriage especially among cousins in these families.
