| Abstract: |
This chapter about the diagnosis of medical renal diseases is from an updated edition of a comprehensive textbook about urology that offers an overview of the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders common to the genitourinary tract. The authors note that hematuria, proteinuria, pyuria, oliguria, polyuria, pain, renal insufficiency with azotemia, acidosis, anemia, electrolyte abnormalities, and hypertension may occur in a wide variety of disorders affecting any portion of the parenchyma of the kidney, the blood vessels, or the excretory tract. The workup of any patient with a possible renal disease should include a complete medical history and physical examination, a thorough examination of the urine, and blood and urine chemistry examinations as indicated. Specific diseases covered include glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, renal involvement in collagen diseases, diseases of the renal tubules and interstitium, hereditary renal diseases, anomalies of the proximal tubule, anomalies of the distal tubule, and unspecified renal tubular abnormalities. Renal biopsy may be indicated, in addition to helping with diagnosis, to determine prognosis; to follow progression of a lesion and response to treatment; to confirm the presence of a generalized disease, such as an autoimmune disorder, amyloidosis, or sarcoidosis; and to diagnose renal dysfunction in a transplanted kidney. 24 references. |