Imerslund-Gräsbeck anemia. A long-term follow-up study.

A follow-up study has been performed on 14 patients, now aged 6-46 years, with Imerslund-Gräsbeck anemia (congenital, hereditary selective malasorption of vitamin B12). On intramuscular vitamin B12 therapy, the patients are clinically and hematologically normal. Those who had constant proteinuria in childhood continue to excrete protein in the urine. Our patients excrete an average of 750 mg of protein per 24 hours (range 13-1460 mg). The proteinuria is predominantly of glomerular origin, but some is also of tubular origin. Renal biopsies of the two oldest patients were normal on light microscopy. Electron microscopy revealed moderate signs of chronic glomerulopathy of mesangioproliferative type in both patients. The renal lesions do not seem to be progressive.