Dear Colleagues and Members of the Renal Pathology Society,

Your membership in the Renal Pathology Society reflects your involvement in efforts to increase understanding of the pathology and pathophysiology of the kidney.  The American Journal of Kidney Diseases has also long recognized the importance of disseminating knowledge and best practices in renal pathology, as shown in its Pathology Quiz and Kidney Biopsy Teaching Case features.  In 2007, the editorship of the journal will turn over to Dr. Andrew Levey, who has asked me to join the Editorial Board as incoming Pathology Editor.  In that capacity, I would like to invite members of the RPS to consider contributing a case description appropriate for consideration as a Kidney Biopsy Teaching Case or sharing a thorny diagnostic puzzle with AJKD readers on the Quiz Page.

Kidney Biopsy Teaching Cases appear monthly and are case reports that include kidney biopsy images.  The format of this feature includes a brief introductory section, a detailed clinical report with emphasis on the kidney biopsy, a description of the clinical follow-up, and an informative discussion of the findings, their significance, and the relationship of the case to other relevant descriptions in the literature.  Kidney Biopsy Teaching Cases are typically 4-6 journal pages in length; all articles in this series should provide a clearly delineated educational message and are fully indexed by PubMed.

The AJKD Quiz Page consists of a concise history (generally 150 words or fewer), a maximum of 4 figures, and brief questions for the reader to consider.  Historically, the Quiz Page answer has appeared online only; however, in order to increase the utility and convenience of this feature, the answers will now be published both in print and online.  The answers include a brief description of the salient features of each figure, an explanation of the clinical and pathological diagnoses, and a final diagnosis.  The AJKD Quiz Page has been a popular feature since its introduction, and often one of its figures is used as the cover image for the journal.  Like the Kidney Biopsy Teaching Case, the Quiz Page is fully indexed by PubMed.

Items for consideration as Kidney Biopsy Teaching Cases and Quiz Pages may submitted using AJKD’s online submission system (www.editorialmanager.com/ajkd).  All submissions will undergo review by the Editorial Board and, when necessary for any controversial submissions, may be sent for outside peer review.

I hope you will consider our invitation to share your insight and expertise in renal pathology with the readers of AJKD, and I encourage you to pass this message along to colleagues who you believe may be interested in learning more about pathology-related content in the journal.

Best regards,

Helmut G. Rennke, MD

Pathology Editor
American Journal of Kidney Diseases

AJKD Editorial Office
NEMC-931
750 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111
Tel:  (617) 636-0599
Fax:  (617) 636-0598
Email:  ajkd@tufts-nemc.org
Online Manuscript Submission:  http://ajkd.editorialmanager.com

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Editorial Board of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases (terms beginning 2007):

Andrew S. Levey, MD
Editor-in-Chief