Glomerular disease in the elderly population.

This brief review of glomerular disease in the elderly contains several lessons for the Geriatric Nephrologist. Remember the atypical presentation of acute nephritis in older individuals. Remember the common causes of nephrotic syndrome in the elderly; namely, membranous glomerulonephritis, minimal change disease, proliferative glomerulonephritis and amyloidosis. Remember the special risks of cytotoxic drug therapy of glomerular disease. Remember the importance of pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis and polyangiitis associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody in the aging population. Remember the value of and use of urinary erythrocyte dysmorphism in the differential diagnosis of hematuria in the elderly.