Spectrum of renal lesions encountered in a rural setup over a period of five years

Kidney is involved in many pathological conditions which include both non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions; some of lesions may require nephrectomy.1 Knowledge of a disease pattern in the local population is important to monitor the people at risk and to impart valuable information to treat patients as well as to implement various health programmes. Aim: To analyze the pattern of the renal disease encountered at a tertiary rural hospital setup and to compare these findings with studies done in other parts of India and other neighboring countries where data is available. Materials and Methods: A 5 year retrospective and prospective analysis of renal specimen received from Jan 2012 – Dec 2017. Relevant clinical data, gross, microscopic findings were collected and analyzed. Core needle biopsy samples and pelvi-uretric junction specimens were excluded from the study. Result: Most common lesions encountered were non-neoplastic (55.3%), of which a majority were chronic pyelonephritis (26.3%). Neoplastic lesion accounted for 44.7% of which 28.9% were malignant neoplasms. Most common age group was 50-60 years followed by 40-50 years for all the lesions. Hydatid cyst kidney, Solitary fibrous tumor & transitional cell carcinoma in kidney were some rare lesions encountered. Conclusion: Non-neoplastic conditions like chronic pyelonephritis were the common renal conditions observed. Implementation of health education and screening programmes including management of common conditions like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and renal calculi will definitely reduce the indication for nephrectomies. This baseline data can be utilized for further studies in future.