Nephritic syndrome
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| Nephritic syndrome Classification and external resources | |
| ICD-10 | N00., N01., N03., N05. |
|---|---|
| ICD-9 | 580 |
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Overview
- Not to be confused with nephrotic syndrome
Nephritic syndrome is a collection of signs (known as a syndrome) associated with disorders affecting the kidneys, more specifically glomerular disorders.
Signs and symptoms
Nephritic syndrome is characterized by;
- proteinuria (protein in the urine)
- hematuria (blood in the urine), with red blood cell (RBC) casts present in the urine
- hypertension (high blood pressure)
and variable renal insufficiency, with;
The main features are hypertension and RBC casts. The proteinuria in nephritic syndrome is not usually severe, but may occasionally be heavy enough to be in the range usually found in nephrotic syndrome.
Mnemonic: PHAROH = Proteinuria, Hematuria, Azotemia, RBC casts, Oliguria, Hypertension
Diagnosis
Nephritic syndrome is not a specific diagnosis. It is a clinical syndrome and characterized by the above signs.
An anti-streptolysin O titre (or ASOT) is typically done to test for exposure to streptococci.
Pathophysiology
The exact pathophysiology is dependent on the specific diagnosis. However, the common features are an inflammation of the glomeruli, leading to salt and water retention and a reduction in the kidney function.
Differential diagnosis
The two classic diagnoses of nephritic syndrome are:
- post-infectious glomerulonephritis - also sometimes called post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis as the streptococcus is the most common cause and at one time was thought to be the only cause.
- crescentic glomerulonephritis
Nephritic syndrome causes are usually grouped into 'focal proliferative' and 'diffuse proliferative' on the basis of histology (obtained by a renal biopsy).
Focal proliferative
- IgA nephropathy
- chronic liver failure
- Celiac sprue
- dermatitis herpetiformis
- Henoch-Schoenlein purpura
- Alport syndrome
- SLE
Diffuse proliferative
- focal glomerulosclerosis
- membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (malaria, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, chronic infection, sickle-cell disease, SLE, hemolytic uremic syndrome / thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura)
- cryoglobulinemia
- SLE
- rapidly progressing glomerulonephritis (RPGNs) - several.
Treatment
Treatment is dependent on the underlying etiology (cause).
Prognosis
Prognosis depends on the underlying etiology.
External links
- Acute nephritic syndrome - medlineplus.org
- Nephritic syndrome - A to Z topics.
- Nephritic syndrome - Merck Manual.
References
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .

