On the evolution of the language of nephrology.

It is no exaggeration to state that the ICD has been one of the best examples of international collaboration in developing an authoritative tool in the service of medical discourse worldwide. It has endowed the language of medicine with a uniformity that is deficient or lacking in other disciplines. Much as the categories of diseases listed in the ICD in general have increased so have those used in the language of nephrology used today (Fig. 2). And, much as it can be fairly assumed that the categories listed in future versions of ICD will increase, it can be assumed that the terminology of renal diseases will be modified and expanded as new knowledge on kidney function and disease accrues.