Glomerulonephritis
Definition:
A group of kidney diseases caused by inflammation and gradual, progressive destruction of the internal kidney structures (glomeruli).
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Glomerulonephritis is a slow progressive destruction of the kidney glomeruli, with progressive loss of kidney function (and eventually, chronic renal failure). The disease may be caused by specific problems with the body's immune system, but the precise cause of most cases is unknown.
Damage to the glomeruli with subsequent inefficient filtering causes blood and protein to be lost in the urine. Because symptoms develop gradually, the disorder may be discovered when there is an abnormal urinalysis during routine physical or examination for unrelated disorders. It can cause hypertension and may only be discovered as a cause of hypertension that is difficult to control.
It may develop after survival of the acute phase of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. In about one-fourth of people with chronic glomerulonephritis, there is no prior history of kidney disease, and the disorder first appears as chronic renal failure.
Specific disorders that are associated with glomerulonephritis include:
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