Recovery of renal function in patients treated by CAPD.

Recovery of renal function was observed in 10 out of 300 patients (3.3%) treated by CAPD. These 10 patients presented the following primary renal diseases: 4 nephroangiosclerosis, 4 interstitial nephropathies, 1 diabetic nephropathy, 1 unknown nephropathy, and were treated by CAPD for a mean period of 10.2 +/- 5.5 months. CAPD was discontinued when residual renal function reached 12 ml/min. After recovery 8 patients were still alive, including 1 patient who returned to dialysis. 2 patients died. When risk factors such as uncontrolled hypertension, cardiac failure, severe nephrotic syndrome, rapidly progressive renal failure, analgesics or non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug treatments or abuses, chronic urinary obstruction, cholesterol emboli were associated with end stage renal failure, CAPD should be the dialysis treatment of choice, expecting the preservation of the kidney capacities and further a recovery of renal function.