[Glomerulopathies in the aged (excluding diabetes)]

Fifty-five cases of glomerular disease in non-diabetic patients above sixty years of age were studied retrospectively. Primary glomerular disease was found in 36 cases, among which 14 cases with minimal changes glomerulopathy (25.4%) and 7 cases with membranous glomerulopathy (12.7%). The remaining 19 patients had secondary glomerular disease, mainly with amyloidosis (12 cases: 21.8%). In these three main forms of glomerulopathy, symptoms were similar, making differential diagnosis impossible before histological examination. Significant responses to treatment can be achieved in minimal changes and extracapillary proliferative glomerulopathies: among the 14 patients given corticosteroids, 9 recovered or experienced very significant improvement. However, one patient under cortico-steroids died from perforation of the sigmoid. In order to establish the best treatment, investigations should be carried out as in younger patients, since they do not seem to involve a significantly higher risk.