[Renal puncture biopsy in nephrotic syndrome in Cameroonian children, adolescent and adults: histopathologic profile according to age].

Eighty-six renal biopsies were under-taken in the Nephrology Service of the Yaounde Central Hospital (Cameroon, Central Africa) during a 4 year period (1st January 1986 to 31st of December 1989). Fifty of them (58%) were done in case of nephrotic syndrome associated or not with hypertension, renal failure. Only 42 of these 50 biopsies were valid and concerned 9 patients aged 8 to 15 years, 22 aged 16 to 30 years and 11 above 30 years. On the whole, 3 main lesions were noted: minimal changes (16 cases: 38.4%), membranous glomerulonephritis (13 cases: 31.2%) and proliferative glomerulonephritis (10 cases: 24%). From the analysis of lesions observed in each age group, it was found that the histopathologic profile of renal biopsies during nephrotic syndrome is practically identical in cameroonian children, young and adults with a relative predominance of minimal change and various glomerular lesions regardless of the age group.