Radiation nephritis.

Radiation nephritis has not had wide attention in the medical literature. Maniy physicians have erroneously considered the kidney to be resistant to the effects of irradiation. This illusion is partly due to the fact that the clinical signs of renal impairment are often subtle and therefore overlooked, or are mistakenly attributed to the primary condition for which radiotherapy was given. Furthermore, many patients die of their primary disease (usually a malignancy) before clinical evidence of nephritis occurs. Because of the widespread use of radiotherapy in practice today, a review of the previous experience with radiation nephritis was undertaken, and two patients with radiation nephritis are presented. Both were studied in detail, particularly with respect to their refractory anemia.