Interstitial kidney disease

Question 1

What is interstitial kidney disease?

Answer 1

Inflammation of the space between cells and tubules (the interstitium) within the kidney

Question 2

1) How does acute interstitial nephritis present (2)?
2) It’s normally caused by a hypersensitivity reaction. Name 1 thing that can trigger this hypersensitivity reaction
3) Other features of a generalised hypersensitivity reaction can accompany the acute kidney injury - name 1 of these

Answer 2

1) Hypertension, AKI
2) Drugs i.e. NSAIDs or antibiotics (rifampicin, penicillin, ciprofloxacin), allopurinol, infection, or systemic disease i.e. SLE, sarcoidosis, and Sjögren’s syndrome
3) Rash, fever, arthralgia, eosinophilia

Question 3

1) What does chronic interstitial kidney disease present as?
2) It’s most commonly caused by drugs - name 2 that can cause it
3) Name an infection that can cause it

Answer 3

1) CKD
2) Lithium, calcineurin inhibitors, NSAIDs, aminosalicylates
3) HIV, pyelonephritis

Question 4

1) Tubulointerstitial nephritis with uveitis typically occurs in what group of people?
2) Name 2 ways it may present
3) What is urinalysis normally positive for?

Answer 4

1) Young females
2) Fever, WL, painful red eyes
3) Protein and leukocytes

Question 5

What is seen on a urinalysis sample in a patient with interstitial kidney disease?

Answer 5

White cell casts