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| Disease | Most Frequent Clinical Presentation | Pathogenesis | Light Microscope | F.M. (Fluorescence Microscope)
E.M. (Electron Microscope) |
Age Group Affected | Treatment and
Outcome | |
| Minimal Change Disease |
|
|
Normal
Lipid in tubules |
F.M. = negative
E.M. = loss of foot processes, lipid vacuoles |
#1 cause of Nephrotic Syndrome in children, esp. boys younger than 6 yrs. old. | Responds well to
corticosteroids.
No progression into chronic renal failure | |
| Focal Segmental Glomerular Sclerosis
(Lipoid Nephrosis) |
|
|
|
F.M. = IgM, C3
E.M. = Loss of foot processes, detachment of epithelium from B.M. |
Majority occur in older children. Also occurs in adults. | Does not respond to corticosteroids. Leads to renal failure. | |
| Membranous
Nephropathy
(Glomerulonephritis) |
|
|
|
F.M. = "Spike and Dome."
Granular IgG, C3
E.M. = Subepithelial immune deposits in B.M., thickened B.M. |
#1 cause of Nephrotic syndrome in adults | Benefit of corticosteroids is unknown. | |
| Diabetic
Nephropathy
(Diabetic Glomerulosclerosis) |
|
|
|
F.M. = negative
E.M. = massive mesangial growth, thickened B.M. |
Diabetics | Progresses to renal failure | |
| Renal Amyloidosis | Subendothelial and mesangial amyloid deposits |
|
F.M. = negative
E.M. = characteristic criss-cross fibrillary proteins. |
Any age group | Severe amyloid infiltration leads to renal failure | ||
| Alport Syndrome
(Hereditary Nephritis) |
|
Structural defect in Collagen IV leads to leaky basement membranes. | Looks normal | F.M. = negative
E.M. = glomerular B.M. splitting |
Symptoms appear before age 20 | Progresses to renal failure | |
| Benign Familial
Hematuria
(Thin B.M. Disease) |
|
Reduced thickness of glomerular B.M. | Looks normal | F.M. = negative
E.M. = reduced glomerular B.M. thickness |
|||
| Acute (Post-Streptococcal) Glomerulonephritis |
|
|
|
F.M. = "lumpy-bumpy"
granular deposits of IgG and
C3
E.M. = Subepithelial (not subendothelial) "humps," otherwise normal appearing B.M. |
Common renal disease in childhood | Return to normal in 8
weeks.
Complete recovery without treatment (especially in kids) within 3 years. | |
| SLE Nephropathy | Degree of kidney involvement correlates with prognosis in SLE. | Anti ds-DNA antibodies. |
|
F.M. = IgM, IgG + C3
|
|||
| Focal Segmental Glomerulonephritis | IgA Nephropathy (Berger's Disease): Most common primary glomerulonephritis | Circulating IgA + fibronectin (due to chronic liver disease) |
|
F.M. = Granular appearance,
IgG + C3
E.M. = Mesangial deposits |
Young men 15-30 | ||
| Henoch-Schonlein Purpura | Same as above, plus systemic disease: purpura of extremities, arthritis, colicky abdominal pain. |
|
F.M. = Granular appearance,
IgG + C3
E.M. = Mesangial deposits |
Children | |||
| Endocarditis | S. Aureus |
|
F.M. = Granular appearance, IgG + C3 | Kidney disease resolves when infection is cured. | |||
| Rapidly Progressive Crescentic Glomerulonephritis |
|
|
|
F.M. = Pauci-immune. Irregular
E.M. = wrinkling, discontinuity of B.M. |
Must be treated or it will go to renal failure within weeks. | ||
| Goodpasture Syndrome
(Anti-BM Antibody Disease) |
Lung (hemoptysis) + kidneys (hematuria) | Anti-B.M. antibodies, against Type-IV collagen | Similar to Crescentic glomerulonephritis, as above. | F.M. = Linear pattern, IgG +
C3
E.M. = No immune complex deposits |
Males 25-30 | Responds to immunosuppressive therapy and plasmapheresis | |
| Membranoproliferative
Glomerulonephritis
(Mesangiocapillary Glomerulonephritis) |
|
E.M. = "Tram-track" appearance, resulting from double-layer appearance of glomerular B.M. |