One hundred and twenty percutaneous renal biopsies performed in 104 patients aged 1 month to 15 years were analysed. Ultrasound examination was used for localization of the kidneys. Adequate renal tissue was obtained in 103 biopsies, with an overall success rate of 85.8%. The most frequent complication was gross haematuria, which occurred in 32 biopsies, but only 5 children required blood transfusion. Nineteen patients developed perirenal haematoma; 2 of these were symptomatic. Arteriovenous fistula was diagnosed in 2 patients. One patient died secondary to intestinal perforation. Serious complications were noted in patients with chronic renal failure. The success and complication rates in 10 patients less than 1 year of age were comparable with the rest of the group. The frequency of serious complications on renal biopsy in the present study was slightly higher than in the more developed countries.

A retrospective study was carried out on 40 children from Saudi Arabia with Henoch-Schönlein syndrome to delineate its clinical pattern. More than 50 per cent of the cases occurred in winter. There was no apparent causal relationship with B-haemolytic streptococcal infection. All patients had skin rash. Fifty-eight per cent had gastrointestinal manifestations, 58 per cent had joint manifestations and 38 per cent had renal manifestations. The main clinical features of Henoch-Schönlein syndrome in Saudi children are comparable to those reported elsewhere.

The clinical biochemical, radiological, and histological data of a 5-year-old boy with severe limb deformities and renal failure due to oligomeganephronia and renal hypoplasia are reported. This patient represents another example of acrorenal syndrome. This boy has a severe visual defect due to pigmentory retinopathy, which has not been reported previously.