Glomerulonephritis

Glomerulonephritis is one of the leading causes of kidney disease that leads to chronic renal failure.  Glomerulonephritis is characterized by the inflammation and scarring of the kidney filters (glomeruli).  This inflammation and scarring cause the kidneys to slowly loose their ability to properly filter wastes and excess water from the blood and excrete it through the urine.

Diagnosis of glomerulonephritis

Glomerulonephritis may be a temporary and reversible condition, or it may be progressive.  When you have progressive glomerulonephritis, it can result in the destruction of the kidney glomeruli and lead to chronic renal failure and end stage renal disease. This disease may be caused by specific problems with the body's immune system, but the precise cause of most cases is unknown.

Damage to the glomeruli with subsequent impaired filtering causes blood and protein to be lost in the urine. Because symptoms develop gradually, the disorder may be discovered when there is an abnormal urinalysis during routine physical or examination for unrelated disorders. Glomerulonephritis can cause hypertension and may only be discovered as a cause of hypertension that is difficult to control.