Kidney and Urinary Tract Pathology Flashcards
What is the function of the kidneys?
• Eliminate metabolic waste products
• Regulate fluid/ electrolyte balance- sodium
• Regulate acid-base balance
• Produces hormones;
o Renin: fluid balance (RAAS)
o Erythropoietin: stimulates erythrocyte production
Why is Renal Disease a Big Issue?
- 26,000 patients- acute renal failure/year in England; 15% of all hospital admissions
- Most recover, but 10,000 need dialysis (50% mortality)
- 5,500 patients develop chronic renal failure/yr in England- 43,000 patients with CRF in England
- 50% will have a transplant, 40% haemodialysis, 10% peritoneal dialysis (risk peritonitis)
- 2010-2011; 1020 living donor renal transplants, 1667 deceased donor transplants, 7000 patients still on renal transplant waiting list
What are the Presentations of Renal Disease?
- Acute renal failure; unwell, rapid rise in creatinine & urea
- Nephrotic syndrome triad (loss of protein); oedema, proteinuria, hypoalbuminaemia
- Acute nephritis (nephritic syndrome) (loss of blood): oedema, proteinuria, haematuria, renal failure
- Chronic renal failure; slow decline in renal function
- Heamaturia
- Proteinuria
- Progressive decline of renal function as age- accelerated in renal failure
What is the function of different parts of the kidney?
- Afferent- vulnerable to damage
- Bowmen’s capsule- big macromolecules remain in here, glucose & sodium pass through
- So in descending loop of Henle- reabsorption
- But in ascending loop- processes more based on secretion involved (getting rid of extra stuff don’t need)
What is Thrombotic Microangiopathy?
Renal Disease- Vascular Damage
- Blocking blood flow into glomerulus
- Thrombi in capillaries/ arterioles
- Endothelial damage by bacterial toxins, drugs, complement or clotting system abnormalities
- E.g. Haemolytic uraemic syndrome
What is Vasculitis ?
- Acute/ chronic vessel wall inflamm with lumen obliteration
- Various types affect diff calibre vessels
- Vasculitis- small/ large vessels- e.g. Wegner’s granulomatosis (granulamotosis with polyangiosis)
How can an atheroma lead to kidney damage?
Atheroma- lumen narrowing- blood not getting through = ischaemic damage
What is Goodpasture’s syndrome?
autoimmune disease selectively damaging basement membranes= Glomerular Damage
What are the causes of Glomerular Damage ?
Immunological (autoimm destruct of kidney)
• Complexes made elsewhere in body- get stuck in kidney- cause effects (immune response)
• Goodpasture’s syndrome- autoimm disease selectively damaging basement memb
Non-immunological
• Abnormal basement memb- podocytes- abnormal collagen so abnormal basement memb
• Abnormal protein deposition- amyloid can have them with excess Ig’s, Rheumatoids etc- these being deposited continuously (fighting a losing battle)
What are the causes of Tubular Damage ?
- Tubular component particularly vulnerable to ischaemic damage
- Degree of renal tubule damage correlates with renal function
• Ischaemic (caused reduced perfusion= tubular damage);
o Hypotension e.g. shock
o Vessel damage e.g. vasculitis HTN
o Glomerular damage
• Toxic (= tubular damage); o Direct toxins o Hypersensitivity reacs- drugs o Crystal deposits e.g. urate (gout) o Abnormal protein deposition (direct tubular damage) e.g. Ig’s
- NSAIDs Ace control hypertension- are on drugs that cause renal damage but hypertension also causes renal damage
- Ethylene glycol (anti-freeze)- people drink
What does crescentic mean?
Rapidly progressive
What is Nephrotic Syndrome?
Always due to damage to glomerulus
What are the features of Nephrotic Syndrome?
- Oedema (pitting) (fluid stays in circ- oncotic pressure unbalanced as lost proteins keeping fluid in)
- Proteinuria (>3g in 24h)- loosing lots of protein in urea
- Hypoalbuminaemia
- +/- Hypertension (loosing fluid- renin agiotensin system kicks in= increases BP)
- +/- Hyperlipidaemia
What are the complications of Nephrotic Syndrome?
- Infection-pneumonia
* Thrombosis (in nephrotic syndrome antithrombin III filtered out- lost mechanism to stop forming clots)
What are the common causes of Nephrotic Syndrome in adults?
- Membranous nephropathy (commonest); idiopathic primary glomerular disorder, usu. adults <60 yrs; M>F (20-30% progress to end stage renal failure)
- Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS); various possible causes (usu. idiopathic, but also genetic, heroin use, HIV); M>F
- Minimal change disease; normal histology; M=F
- Other causes: diabetes, lupus nephritis, amyloid
What are the common causes of Nephrotic Syndrome In children?
• Minimal change (commonest)- present with nephrotic syndrome triad; normal histology, usu. Excellent prognosis, give them steroids & they’ll be fine
• Focal segmental glomerulosis (FSGS)
• Other causes rare
Basement memb thickening, get holes punched through=progresses to end stage renal failure
What is Nephritic Syndrome?
Kidney disease involving inflammation
What are the features of Nephritic Syndrome?
- Oedema
- HAEMATURIA
- Proteinuria
- Hypertension
- Acute renal failure
- (Lots of overly with nephrotic syndrome)
What are the common causes of Nephritic Syndrome in adults?
- Post-infective glomerulonephritis (happens after a primary infec)- weeks after Streptococcal throat infection, good recovery- then develop renal failure
- IgA nephropathy (inappropriate IgA deposition in glomerulus)- common primary glomerular disease; usu. young adults (20-50% renal failure over 20 years)
- Vasculitis; unwell, fever, rash, myalgia, arthralgia- spectrum of malaise with rash & renal failure
- SLE (lupus nephritis); autoimmune disease; usu. young women, get full spectrum of immunoglobulins involved
What are the common causes of Nephritic Syndrome In children?
• Also post-infective glomerulonephritis & IgA nephropathy
• Henoch-Schönlein purpura;
o Specific IgA nephropathy (systemic vasculitis); often follows throat infection; most recover completely
o Usu. boys/teenagers with arthralgia, abdominal pain, purpuric rash (presentation- affects buttocks & legs- most kids recover from this), proteinuria/haematuria, acute renal failure
• Haemolytic-uraemic syndrome
o Typically children with E. coli 0157 enteritis- due to shegoli toxin made (damages glomeulus endothelium= becomes pro-thrmbotic= lumen narrowed = RBCs break open as trying to squeeze past & are depleting your platelets)
• With other GI toxins
• Get GI symptoms 1st e.g. diarrhoea then renal failure
• Acute nephritis, haemolysis, thrombocytopenia
What is the main difference between Nephrotic syndrome and nephritic syndrome?
Nephrotic syndrome loss of protein, nephritic syndrome loss of blood
What is Acute Renal Failure ?
Rapid loss of kidney function
- Prognosis usually good if no underlying renal disease
- Short term dialysis may be needed in some patients
- Renal biopsy; UNHELPFUL if cause pre-renal or post-renal, HELPFUL if cause damage to kidney (renal)
- Imaging helpful- see obstruc
- All biopsies show acute tubular necrosis/injury/damage
What are the common causes of Acute Renal Failure ?
o Pre-renal (blood flow to kidney); severe dehydration, hypotension (bleed, septic shock, LVF), vol not reaching kidneys (oliguria) o Renal (in kidney); damage to kidney o Post-renal (probs getting rid of urine- urinary tract obstruc); urinary tract tumours, pelvic tumour, calculi, prostatic enlargement
What are the features of Acute Renal Failure?
Anuria/oliguria (<400ml/24h)+(rapid increase) raised creatinine & urea– malaise, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, arrhythmias