A diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy can be made by the long duration of diabetes with progressive proteinuria, azotemia, and the presence of retinopathy. However, Diabetic patients with proteinuria who have a short duration of diabetes, or
persisten
hematuria, or no retinopathy should be suspected of the superimposed glomerulopathy. Because of significant differeces in natural history and response to steroid therapy between diabetic nephropathy and primary glomerulopathy, the performance of
a
diagnostic renal bopsy need to be considered. Recently, We experienced three patients with diabetes mellitus and membranous glomerulonephritis who underwent renal blopsises because of unusual clinical features. In spite of heavy proteinuria, they
had no
evidence of diabetic retinopathy, and preserved normal renal function, and their durations of diabetes were less than 10 years. Microscoic examinaiton of renal biopsy matarials disclosed pure membranous nephropathy in three patients.
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