Schönlein-Henoch glomerulonephritis. Characteristic ultrastructural changes in the glomerular basement membrane and localisation of osmiophilic deposits.

In glomerulonephritis accompanying the Schönlein-Henoch syndrome (SHS) a characteristic subepithelial basement membrane change is present in 85% of cases. The subepithelial change is a reaction to subepithelial deposits and consists of a garland or dome-like new formation of thin densa lamellae. This change is much more frequent in SHS than in IgA-nephritis or idiopathic glomerulonephritis or any other systemic disease. Furthermore, subepithelial deposits (50% of cases) are nearly as frequent as subendothelial deposits (65%) and more often present than formerly assumed.