Renal Flashcards
What are the 6 nephrotic syndromes?
- Diabetic nephropathy
- Amyloidosis
- Minimal change disease
- Focal segmented glomerulosclerosis
- Membranous neuropathy
- Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis
What is amylodiosis?
Amyloidosis refers to the disease state caused by abnormal amyloid protein deposits in organs.
What are the clinical manifestations of amyloidosis?
- Kidney: swelling in the face, ankles, and legs
- Heart: palpitations and shortness of breath
- Intestines: malabsorption and weight loss
- Large tongue: speech and swallowing difficulty, noisy breathing at night
- Nerves: numbness or pain in the fingers and toes, alternating bouts of diarrhoea and constipation, orthostatic hypotension
- CNS: Alzheimer’s memory loss and difficulty learning new things
What are the investigations for amyloidosis?
- Fat pad biopsy: apple-green birefringence under polarised microscopy with Congo red stain.
- SAP scan: to show amount and location of amyloid
What is the management for amyloidosis?
- Organ transplant, if extensive damage.
- AL amyloidosis:
- Optimise nutrition, if malabsorption
- Alkylating agent + corticosteroid: e.g. melphalan and prednisolone
- Stem cell transplant
What is minimal change diease?
Minimal change disease (MCD) is a kidney disease that can cause nephrotic syndrome, a condition in which the kidneys leak large amounts of protein. It is called “minimal change” because the damage to the kidneys cannot be seen under a microscope.
What are the investigations for minimal change disease?
- On light microscopy, the glomeruli look completely normal.
- In some cases, there can be lipids in the proximal tubular cells.
- Immunofluorescence is negative.
- The only changes are seen on electron microscopy, where there’s effacement of podocyte foot processes.
What is the management for minimal change disease?
Idiopathic minimalchange disease is the only nephrotic disease that can be consistently treated with corticosteroids.
What is Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis?
Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a rare disease that affects the kidneys’ glomeruli, which are tiny blood vessels that filter waste and excess fluids from the blood. In FSGS, the glomeruli become scarred and damaged.
What are the investigations for Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis?
- On light microscopy, there’s sclerosis and hyalinosis among the glomeruli.
- FSG is segmental - only a part of the glomeruli is affected - and focal - only some of the glomeruli are affected.
- Immunofluorescence is often negative, but can sometimes be positive for deposits of C3, C1 or IgM.
What is the management for Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis?
Primary FGS has an inconstant response to corticosteroids and some individuals may progress to CKD
What is Membranous Neuropathy?
Membranous neuropathy is a rare autoimmune disease that affects the nerves that control muscle movement and sensation in the body. It is also known as Membranous nephropathy or MN.
What are the clinical manifestations of membranous neuropathy?
The symptoms of membranous neuropathy can vary from person to person, but the most common symptoms include:
- Muscle weakness
- Tingling and numbness in the extremities
- Loss of reflexes
- Difficulty walking or standing
- Pain in the limbs
- Fatigue
- Loss of sensation in the limbs
What are the investigations for membranous neuropathy?
Biopsy
- Light microscopy - diffuse capillary and glomerular basement membrane thickening
- When the sample is stained with silver methenamine, irregular expansions can be seen
- Immunofluorescence will show that the immune complexes are granular and mostly made of IgG and C3.
- Electron microscopy
- flattening of the podocyte foot processes and sub-epithelial deposits of immune complexes.
What is the management for membranous neuropathy?
Poor response to corticosteroids and individuals may progress to CKD
What is Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis?
Three types of MPGN: they all cause proliferation of mesangial and endothelial cells in the glomerulus.
What are the risk factors for Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis?
- Age (75% idiopathic)
- Infections - hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV and endocarditis
- Chronic lymphocytic leukaemiaand cryoglobulinaemia
- Acquired partial lipodystrophy (ADP)
What are the signs of Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis?
- Oedema
- Oliguria
- Haematuria
- Hypertension
What are the symptoms of Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis?
- Foamy urine (proteinuria)
- Pink, red or ‘coke’ tinged urine (haematuria)
What are the investigations for Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis?
- Urine dipstick
- Urine microscopy and culture
- U&Es
- C3 and C4 levels
- Renal biopsy for definitive diagnosis
- PAS staining on light microscopywill show mesangial cell proliferation and capillary thickening
What is the management for Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis?
Primary MPGN
- Oral cyclophosphamide
- Oral mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and oral corticosteroids
Secondary MPGN
- Treat the cause
General
- ACEi/ARB
- Statin
- Oral warfarin
What are the complications of Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis?
- Hypertension
- Infection susceptibility
- Pro-thrombotic state
- Hyeperlipidaemia
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypocalcaemia
- AKI
- Chronic kidney disease
- Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis
What is post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis?
Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN) is usually an immunologically-mediated delayed consequence of pharyngitis or skin infections caused by streptococcus pyogenes.
What are the 8 nephritic syndromes?
– Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis
- IgA neuropathy
- Good pastures syndrome
- SLE
- Diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis
- Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis
- Alport syndrome
- Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis
What is a nephritic syndrome?
Nephritic syndrome is typically caused by inflammation that damages the glomerular basement membrane, leading to haematuria and red blood cell casts in the urine.
What is a nephrotic syndrome?
Nephrotic syndrome is defined as the presence of proteinuria, hypoalbuminaemia, and peripheral oedema.
What are the 5 features of a nephrotic syndrome?
- Proteinuria (> 3.5 g/day)
- Hypoalbuminemia (< 30 g/L) which leads tooedema
- Hyperlipidaemia as the liver increases synthesis of lipids in response to low albumin
- Hypogammaglobulinemia: due to loss of immunoglobulin in the urine
- Hypercoagulability: due to loss of antithrombin III, and protein C and S in the urine
What are the investigations for a nephrotic syndrome?
- Urinalysis
- 24-hour urine protein collection
- Urine album: creatinine ratio
- U&Es
- LFTs
- Lipid profile
- Renal ultrasound
- Renal biopsy
What are the clinical manifestations of a nephrotic syndrome?
- Haematuria
- Proteinuria
- Arterial hypertension
- Peripheral and peri-orbital oedema
- Decreased urine output
What are the investigations for a nephritic syndrome?
- Bloods
- Urinalysis
- Renal biopsy if needed
What are the clinical manifestations of post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis?
- Haematuria
- Signs of recent infection will be present
What are the investigations for post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis?
- Bloods - low C3 and CH50.
- Positive streptozyme test
- Kidney biopsy
- On light microscopy: the glomeruli are enlarged and hypercellular.
- On immunofluorescence: IgG, IgM and C3 deposits along the glomerular basement membrane and the mesangium, which create a “starry sky” appearance.
- On electron microscopy: subepithelial deposits which appear as “humps”.
What is the management for post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis?
- Furosemide: for initial treatment of hypertension
- Antibiotics
What is nephrolithiasis?
Renal stones, or nephrolithiasis, is the presence of stones, or calculi, within the urinary system.
What are the risk factors for kidney stones?
- Gender → Male > Female
- Dehydration
- Previous kidney stone
- Stone-forming foods: chocolate, rhubarb, spinach, tea, and most nuts are high in oxalate, and colas are high in phosphate
- Genetic: cystinuria (Dent’s disease; cysteine stones), renal tubular acidosis (calcium phosphate stones)
- Systemic disease: Crohn’s disease (calcium oxalate stones)
- Metabolic:hypercalcaemia, hyperparathyroidism, hypercalciuria (calcium stones)
- Kidney disease-related: medullary sponge kidney, AD polycystic kidney disease
- Anatomical abnormalities that predispose to stone formation e.g. duplex,
obstruction or trauma - Drugs: loop diuretics and acetazolamide can cause calcium stones; protease inhibitors (HIV medication) cause radiolucent stones
- Exposure: cadmium or beryllium
- Other: gout and ileostomies (uric acid stones)
- Family history
What are the signs of kidney stones?
- Flank or renal-angle tenderness
- Fever
- Hypotension and tachycardia: may indicate urosepsis / a septic stone
What are the symptoms of kidney stones?
- Acute, severe flank pain (renal colic)
- Classically ‘loin to groin’ pain
- Pain lasts minutes to hours and occurs in spasms (with intervals of no pain or dull ache)
- Fluctuating in severity as the stone moves and settles
- Nausea and vomiting
- Urinary urgency or frequency
- Haematuria: microsopic or macroscopic
- May present with oliguria
- Fever: suggests a septic stone or pyelonephritis
What are the investigations for kidney stones?
- GOLD STANDARD - Non-contrast CT KUB
- Urinalysis
- Inflammatory markers:elevated WBCs and CRP
- U&Es
- Bone profile and urate
- FBC
- Urine dipstick
What are the differential diagnoses for kidney stones?
- Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm
- Appendicitis
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Ovarian cyst
- Bowel obstruction
- Diverticulitis
What is the acute management for kidney stones?
- IV fluids and anti-emetics
- Analgesia: an NSAID by any route is considered first-line
- Antibiotics if infection is present
What is the conservative management for kidney stones?
- Watchful waiting: stones <5mm should pass spontaneously and followed up in clinic
- Medical expulsive therapy (MET):Alpha-blocker, e.g.tamsulosin, for ureteric stones 5-10mm to help passage. Not indicated for renal stones.
What are the surgical options for kidney stones?
- Ureteroscopy
- Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL)
- Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL)
- Ureteral stenting
- Percutaneous nephrostomy
What is the patient advice for recurrent kidney stones?
- Increase oral fluids
- Reduce dietary salt intake
- Reduce intake of oxalate-rich foods for calcium stones (e.g. spinach, nuts, rhubarb, tea)
- Reduce intake of urate- rich foods for uric acid stones (e.g. kidney, liver, sardines)
- Limit dietary protein
What are the complications of kidney stones?
- Obstruction and hydronephrosis: acute kidney injury and renal failure
- Urosepsis: an infected, obstructing stone is a urological emergency and requires urgent decompression
What is acute pyelonephritis?
Upper urinary tract infection: acute inflammation of the renal pelvis (join between kidney and ureter) and parenchyma.
What are the risk factors for acute pyelonephritis?
- Vesico-ureteral reflux (VUR)
- Gender → Female
- Sexual intercourse
- Indwelling catheter
- Diabetes mellitus
- Pregnancy
- Urinary tract obstruction e.g. calculi (stones)
What are the signs of acute pyelonephritis?
- Tender loin on examination
- Pain on bimanual palpation of the renal angle (over kidney)
What are the symptoms of acute pyelonephritis?
- High fever and rigors
- Loin to groin pain
- Dysuria and urinary frequency
- Haematuria
- Other non-specific symptoms (e.g. nausea and vomiting)
What are the investigations of acute pyelonephritis?
- GOLD STANDARD - Mid-stream urine MCS
- Urine dipstick - FIRST LINE
- Bloods
- CRP and ESR
- CT can help confirm diagnosis
- DMSA scan
What are the differential diagnoses of acute pyelonephritis?
- Lower UTI
- Cystitis
- Acute prostatitis
- Urethritis
- Chronic pyelonephritis
What is the management for acute pyelonephritis?
First line
- Broad spectrum antibiotics (e.g. co-amoxiclav) until culture and sensitivities are available
- Hydration
Other
- - IV rehydration
- Analgesia
- Antipyretics
- Surgery to drain abscesses or relieve calculi that are causing infection
What are the complications of acute pyelonephritis?
- Renal abscess
- Recurrent infections
- Chronic pyelonephritis
- Papillary necrosis
What is chronic pyelonphritis?
Upper urinary tract infection: chronic inflammation of the renal pelvis (join between kidney and ureter) and parenchyma.
What are the risk factors for chronic pyelonephritis?
- Vesico-ureteral reflux
- Chronic obstruction
- Kidney stones
- Congenital malformations e.g. of the posterior urethral valve
- BPH
- Cervical carcinoma
What are the signs of chronic pyelonephritis?
- Tender loin on examination
- Pain on bimanual palpation of the renal angle (over kidney)
What are the symptoms of chronic pyelonephritis?
- High fever and rigors
- Loin to groin pain
- Dysuria and urinary frequency
- Haematuria
- Other non-specific symptoms (e.g. nausea and vomiting)
What are the investigations of chronic pyelonephritis?
- GOLD STANDARD - Mid-stream urine MCS
- Urine dipstick - FIRST LINE
- Bloods
- CRP and ESR
- CT can help confirm diagnosis
What are the differential diagnoses for chronic pyelonephritis?
- Lower UTI
- Cystitis
- Acute prostatitis
- Urethritis
- Acute pyelonephritis
What is the management for chronic pyelonephritis?
- Correct the underlying cause of recurrent infection e.g. surgery to correct congenital structural causes or to remove obstruction like kidney stones
- Dialysis may be needed
- Nephrectomy might be needed.
- Antibiotics may play a role
What are the complications of chronic pyelonephritis?
- Renal abscess
- Acute renal failure
- Chronic kidney disease
What is chronic kidney disease?
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) describes a progressive deterioration in renal function. These issues develop over at least 3 months.
What are the risk factors for chronic kidney disease?
- Increasing age
- Afro-Caribbean
- Diabetes mellitus
- Hypertension
- Autoimmune conditions
- Glomerulonephritis
- Congenital abnormalities
- Nephrotoxic drugs
- Smoking
- Enlarged prostate
- Renal artery stenosis
What are the signs for chronic kidney disease?
- Hypertension
- Fluid overload
- Uraemic sallow: a yellow or pale brown colour of skin
- Uraemic frost: urea crystals can deposit in the skin
- Pallor: due to anaemia
- Evidence of underlying cause: e.g. butterfly rash in lupus
What are the symptoms of chronic kidney disease?
- Lethargy
- Pruritis
- Muscle cramps
- Nausea
- Anorexia
- Loss of appetite
- Frothy urine
- Swollen ankles/ oedema
- Increased bleeding: excess urea in the blood makes platelets less likely to stick to each other
What are the investigations for chronic kidney disease?
- Urine dip stick test
- Urine albumin: creatinine ratio
- U&Es
- FBC
- Bone profile and PTH
- Renal ultrasound
Consider
- CT KUB
- Renal biopsy
- Investigate the underlying cause
What is the management of chronic kidney disease?
- Lifestyle changes
- Cause related management
- Renal replacement therapy e.g. dialysis when eGFR is in single digits
What are the complications of chronic kidney disease?
- Cardiovascular
- CDK-mineral bone disease
- Anaemia
What is cystitis?
Lower urinary tract infection: inflammation of the bladder.
What are the risk factors for cystitis?
- Female
- Post-menopause
- Sexual intercourse
- Diabetes
- Catheterisation
- Urinary stasis
- ## Risk factors for UTIs
What are the clinical manifestations of cystitis?
Signs
- Suprapubic tenderness
Symptoms
- Dysuria
- Increasing urine frequency
- Urgency to urinate
- Nocturia
- Changes in urine appearance
What are the investigations for cystitis?
- Urine dipstick: nitrite and leukocyte usually positive
- GOLD STANDARD - Mid-stream urine microscopy, culture and sensitivity (MC&S)
Other
- Bladder scan
- Renal tract ultrasound
- Cystocopy
- DMSA
- Micturating Cystourethrogram