The aim of this study was to analyse the demographic variables of chronic non-terminal (CRF) and terminal (TRF) renal failure patients (pts) younger than 19 years treated in Serbia in June 2001. The prevalence of CRF pts was registered as 4.7 per million total population (pmtp) or 14.1 per million child population (pmcp) while corresponding values for TRF pts were 4.5 pmtp or 13.5 pmcp. The incidence of TRF pts during the period Jan. 2000-Jan. 2002 was 4.35 pmcp. Boys dominated only among CRF pts (34:14); 60.4% being between the ages of 6 and 19 yrs while at the time of diagnosis of HBI, 33.3% of boys were yanger than 2 yrs. The causes of CRF were: reflux nephropathy 58.3%, congenital kidney disease 16.7%, familial/hereditary 14.6%, glomerulonephritis 6.2% and Willms tu 4.1%. Reflux nephropathy was also the most common underlying disease of TRF accounted for 36.9% of total cases, while glomerulonephritis was responsible for 23.9%. Reflux nephropathy was associated with neural tube defect in 53.3% and with congenital lower urinary tract obstruction in 66.7%. The most of CRF (81.25%) and TRF pts (95.6%) were from Serbia, the others were from Monte Negro and Republic Srpska. The most of CRF (65%) and TRF (80%) pts were treated in University Children's Hospital in Belgrade. Of CRF pts 46% had serum creatinine 100-200 mumol/l, in 11% of pts it was 400-600 mumol/l and 2% of pts were in pre-terminal CRF. One third of CRF pts had proteinuria 150-500 mg/l, and second third had proteinuria greater of 1000 mg/l. Anemia was present in 54% of CRf pts, and arterial hypertension in 56%. Hemodialysis was dominant treatment modality for TRF pts and only 23.9% had functioning transplant.
Conclusion: This is the first national study of demographic characteristics of pediatric CRF in Serbia. Since its prevalence is considerably lower than that in Western and North European countries the true prevalence is some what higher. The increasing incidence of pediatric TRF from 2.85 pmcp to 4.35 pmcp reflect better diagnosis and treatment of these patients in the recent years.