Renal findings in rheumatoid arthritis: clinical aspects of 132 necropsies

Ann Rheum Dis. 1987 Sep;46(9):658-63. doi: 10.1136/ard.46.9.658.

Abstract

Renal abnormalities in 132 necropsied patients with rheumatoid arthritis were studied. Clinical findings before death included extra-articular manifestations of the disease (86% of patients), systemic vasculitis (6%), and uraemia (23%). Necropsy findings included nephrosclerosis (90%), systemic vasculitis (14%) with kidney involvement in 8%, amyloidosis (11%), membranous glomerulopathy (8%), and focal glomerular disease (8%). Association with clinical data suggests that both rheumatoid and non-rheumatoid disease may play a part in the cause of these abnormalities.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Amyloidosis / etiology
  • Amyloidosis / pathology
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / complications
  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / pathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Kidney / pathology*
  • Kidney Diseases / etiology
  • Kidney Diseases / pathology
  • Kidney Glomerulus / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Vasculitis / etiology
  • Vasculitis / pathology