Abstract
Background and Objectives: There are geographical variations in the etiology of chronic renal failure in children because of genetic and environmental factors. The aim of this study is to determine the etiology of chronic renal failure (CRF) in children who referred to Children's Hospital of Tabriz and compare with the results of other centers .
Materials and Methods: Fifty five children with CRF were investigated from September 1999 to July 2004 retrospectively. The cause of CRF was detected based on personal and family history, physical exam, Para clinic and imaging findings and renal biopsy.
Results: The patients were between 4 months to 14 years old (Mean age 8.5 yr.). The male to female ratio was 1.3 (P>0.05). The chief etiologies of CRF included congenital malformations and urologic diseases (44%), glomerular diseases (25%), and hereditary nephropathies (18%). The most common cause in each group was vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and nephronophthisis respectively. The cause of CRF in 13% of cases remained unknown. The rate of consanguinity was higher in patients with hereditary nephropathies than others (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Our findings, compared with data from developed countries, show a particularly high frequency of VUR and highlight the need for more attention to urinary tract infections in children.