[Diabetic nephropathy (author's transl)].

The term diabetic nephropathy includes the Kimmelstiel-Wilson intercapillary glumerulosclerosis (1936), arterio-arteriolosclerotic changes and pyelonephritis. In principle, diabetic nephropathy becomes more frequent with increasing duration of diabetes mellituus. Pyelonephritis is 4 to 5 times more frequent in diabetics than in the general population. Elderly overweight women are particularly at risk. - Only the nodular intercapillary glomerulosclerosis and not the diffuse or exudative form is specific for diabetes mellitus. It is found in 20-40% of all diabetics who have had the disease for 10-15 years. Whether the microangiopathy is typical of diabetes mellitus remains to be seen. Due to the intense cardiovascular changes, possible disorders of brain and liver function and infection, the prognosis of renal insufficiency is considerably worse in diabetics than in non-diabetics.