Module 9 - Diseases of the Kidney and Urinary Tract

Question 1

acute tubular necrosis (ATN)

Answer 1

necrosis and death of tubular cell, generally due to a lack of oxygen or exposure to toxins. Potentially reversible if stimulus removed in time.

Question 2

cyst

Answer 2

an abnormal sac containing gas, fluid, or a semisolid material.

Question 3

cystectomy

Answer 3

excision of a cyst; excision or resection of the bladder.

Question 4

cystoscopy

Answer 4

the inspection of the interior of the bladder by means of a cystoscope (a lighted tubular instrument).

Question 5

glomerulonephritis

Answer 5

inflammation of the glomeruli; usually caused by an immune-mediated response to glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) or deposition of circulating immune complexes in the kidney.

Question 6

glomerulopathy

Answer 6

a renal disease characterized by pathological changes in the glomeruli. Primary glomerulopathies are diseases which affect the glomerulus primarily or exclusively. Secondary glomerulopathies are diseases which affect multiple organs, including the kidney.

Question 7

glomerulus

Answer 7

a small tuft or cluster; often used alone to designate one of the renal glomeruli (pl).

Question 8

hematuria

Answer 8

the presence of blood or red blood cells in the urine.

Question 9

hydronephrosis

Answer 9

a term used to describe dilation of the renal pelvis usually as a result of chronic obstruction, with associated blunting of the renal papillae.

Question 10

hydroureter

Answer 10

dilation of the ureter.

Question 11

kidney stones

Answer 11

hard precipitates of insoluble minerals such as calcium, magnesium and uric acid which can crystallize into stones at any point along the urinary tract, but most often in the kidney itself.

Question 12

nephron

Answer 12

• the structural and functional unit of the kidney (consisting of the renal glomerulus, proximal and distal convoluted tubules and nephronic loop or loop of Henle).

Question 13

polycystic kidney disease

Answer 13

a hereditary disease which results in the formation of numerous cysts in both kidneys. e.g. autosomal dominant form in the adult with enlarged kidneys and numerous cysts; autosomal recessive form in infants and children (rare) with enlarged kidneys and in contrast to the adult disease, the external surface of the kidney is smooth, usually find associated liver changes (fibrosis).

Question 14

renal cell carcinoma

Answer 14

a malignant neoplasm of the renal tubular or ductal epithelial cells; the most common cancer of the kidney (90%).

Question 15

urea

Answer 15

the chief end product of nitrogen metabolism formed in the liver and excreted in urine (about 32 g / day).

Question 16

urothelial carcinoma

Answer 16

the bladder, ureters, and pelvis are all lined by transitional epithelium called urothelium, therefore, the most common type of cancer in the urinary tract is urothelial carcinoma. It is most common in the bladder, but can occur in the renal pelvis or ureters as well. Usually broken down into two types - low grade (papillary, superficial and slow growing) and high grade (deeply invasive, aggressive, metastases).