A Follow-Up Study of Hereditary Chronic Nephritis

In 1951 we reported the genetically predictable occurrence of chronic renal disease with associated nerve deafness in a large family.^1,2One hundred thirty-four members of the family were examined, and adequate clinical data were available concerning three of seven males in the family who had died of uremia in the recent or remote past. Of the 44 members involved, 43 had pyuria, 32 had hematuria, all had cylinduria, and for 17 of 32 studied, the urine cultures were positive for bacteria. Of 59 patients studied, 14 had abnormal audiograms. Five of those with hearing deficits showed no evidence of renal disease at the time of examination, but two of these were found to be carriers of the trait for renal disease in that the renal lesion was observed in their descendants. Microscopic sections from one postmortem examination showed severe, diffuse interstitial pyelonephritis with inflammatory infiltrate, microscopic abscesses, normal glomeruli,