Urinary System Pathology 1

Question 1

What are the four main structural and functional components of the kidney?

Answer 1

Blood vessels
Glomeruli
Tubules
Interstitium

Question 2

What proportion of cardiac output goes to the kidneys?

Answer 2

25%

Question 3

What are the three layers of the glomerular filtration barrier?

Answer 3

Fenestrated capillary epithelium
Glomerular basement membrane
Podocytes

Question 4

List four causes of renal vascular disease.

Answer 4

Embolism
Vascular injury and vasculitis
Loss of autoregulation of renal perfusion
Compression of blood vessels

Question 5

What are the three types of infarction in the kidney and which is the most common?

Answer 5

Interlobular or smaller vessel infarction.
Arcuate or interlobular artery infarction.
Renal artery infarction.

Question 6

Describe how perfusion of the inner cortex and medulla is maintained in the kindeys, when there is renal hypotension.

Answer 6

Renal hypotension, leads to ischaemia and prostaglandin production in the medulla. Vasodilation of afferent arterioles in juxtamedullary nephrons maintains the perfusion.

Question 7

How do NSAIDs prevent the maintenance of perfusion of the inner cortex and medulla?

Answer 7

They stop the production of prostaglandin in the medulla so there can be no vasodilation of afferent arterioles.

Question 8

List three potential causes of compression of the renal vasculature and medullary necrosis.

Answer 8

Urinary obstruction
Pyelonephritis
Medullary amyloidosis.

Question 9

List three causes of glomerular injury.

Answer 9

Deposition of substances in glomeruli
Infectious agents
Entrapment of thromboemboli

Question 10

Define glomerulitis.

Answer 10

Inflammation restricted to glomeruli.

Question 11

Define glomerulonephritis.

Answer 11

Primary glomerular disease and secondary changes in other components of the nephron.

Question 12

What is the main cause of glomerulonephritis?

Answer 12

Mostly glomerular deposition of immune complexes.

Question 13

List three responses to glomerulonephritis.

Answer 13

Thickening of the glomerular basement membrane.
Proliferation of glomerular mesangial and/or endothelial cells.
Inflammatory cell infiltrates

Question 14

List four consequences of glomerulonephritis.

Answer 14

Damage to glomeular filtration barrier.
Proteinuria
Interstitial fibrosis
Reduced nephron function.

Question 15

Which part of the kidney does glomerular amyloidosis usually affect?

Answer 15

Glomeruli

Question 16

What is suppurative glomerulitis and what does it cause?

Answer 16

Bacteraemia with bacteria lodging in the glomerular capillaries +/- interstitial capillaries.
Causes formation of microabscesses.