Kidney Biopsy Findings in Familial Chloride Diarrhoea

Percutaneous renal biopsies from seven children with familial chloride diarrhoea were studied. The age of the patients ranged from one month to three and a half years. Typical potassium losing nephropathy was observed in the three youngest children. Nephrocalcinosis was found in all the biopsies. Hyperplasia of the juxtaglomerular apparatus was present in all children. Arteriolar and arterial changes resembling those seen in hypertensive disease were observed. On the basis of these findings a hypothesis for the pathogenesis of the syndrome is presented.