Thin glomerular basement membrane nephropathy: incidence in 3471 consecutive renal biopsies examined by electron microscopy.

Abstract

Thin glomerular basement membrane (GBM) nephropathy is often equated with benign familial hematuria, although it may occur sporadically and may not always be benign. Thin GBM nephropathy is reported to occur in at least 1% of the population, although its reported incidence varies considerably in different studies because there are presently no uniform criteria for its diagnosis by electron microscopy (EM).