Interstitial nephritis of acute onset.

Interstitial nephritis was diagnosed at renal biopsy in 10 previously healthy children. All had identical clinical symptoms: anaemia, raised sedimentation rate, low glomerular filtration rate, protein and leucocytes in the urine, but no bacteria; nine also had glycosuria. Six of the children had a history of recent ingestion of drugs or a serologically proved infection, or both. One child later developed uveitis. After the acute phase all made at least partial recovery, but after a mean follow up of two years and eight months only four were without any signs of disease, three had equivocal findings, two definite renal disease, and one renal failure. Interstitial nephritis, therefore, seems to be a clinical entity often occurring without known cause or triggering factor, its prognosis is variable, and some patients may develop chronic renal failure.