Nephritis

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Nephritis Classification and external resources
MeSH	D009393

Nephritis is inflammation of the kidney. The word comes from the Greek nephro- meaning "of the kidney" and -itis meaning "inflammation". Nephritis is often caused by infections, toxins, and auto-immune diseases.

[edit] Subtypes

• glomerulonephritis is inflammation of the glomeruli. (Often when the term "nephritis" is used without qualification, this is the condition meant.)
• interstitial nephritis or tubulo-interstitial nephritis is inflammation is of the spaces between renal tubules.
• pyelonephritis is when a urinary tract infection has reached the pyelum (pelvis) of the kidney.
• Lupus nephritis is an inflammation of the kidney caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a disease of the immune system.

Nephritis is the most common cause of glomerular injury. It is a disturbance of the glomerular structure with inflammatory cell proliferation. This can lead to: reduced glomerular blood flow leading to reduced urine output (oliguria) & retention of waste products (uremia). As a result, there can also be leakage of red blood cells from damaged glomerulus (hematuria). Low renal blood flow activates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), which therefore causes fluid retention and mild hypertension.

[edit] See also

• Bright's Disease
• Wegener's granulomatosis

v • d • e Urinary system - Pathology - Nephrology, including nephritis and nephropathy (N00-N39, 580-599) Diseases of the glomerulus Glomerulonephritis - Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis - Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis - Membranous glomerulonephritis - Nephritic syndrome - Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis - Nephrotic syndrome (Minimal change disease) - IgA nephropathy - Lupus nephritis - Diabetic nephropathy - Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis Tubulointerstitial diseases of the kidney Interstitial nephritis - Pyelonephritis - Hydronephrosis - Pyonephrosis - Balkan nephropathy - Reflux nephropathy Renal failure Acute renal failure (Acute tubular necrosis) - Chronic renal failure Urolithiasis Kidney stone - Renal colic Diseases of the renal tubule and other disorders of kidney and ureter Renal osteodystrophy - Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus - Nephroptosis - Ureterocele - Abderhalden-Kaufmann-Lignac syndrome - Inborn errors of renal tubular transport (Renal tubular acidosis, Gitelman syndrome) Other diseases and disorders of urinary system urinary bladder: Cystitis (Interstitial cystitis, Trigonitis) - Neurogenic bladder - Vesicointestinal fistula urethra: Urethritis (Non-gonococcal urethritis) - Urethral syndrome - Urethral stricture Urinary tract infection Tumors of the kidney Renal cell carcinoma - Wilms' tumor (children) See also congenital conditions (Q60-Q64, 753)