Glomerulonephritis
What are the symptoms?
People with glomerulonephritis may have some or all of the following symptoms: blood in the urine (haematuria), protein in the urine (proteinuria), swelling up due to water and salt retention, progressive or chronic renal failure and high blood pressure (hypertension). Existing treatment consists of careful control of all these symptoms, especially blood pressure.
The identification of the specific form of glomerulonephritis in an individual will depend on a kidney biopsy:
- Minimal change disease, one of the causes of Nephrotic syndrome does not lead to renal failure and is common in children.
- Focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis includes Nephrotic syndrome, hypertension and renal failure, and is commoner in young adults.
- Membranous nephropathy is characterised by proteinuria or nephrotic syndrome, renal failure, and is common in middle age.
- IgA Nephropathy is the commonest form of glomerulonephritis and manifests with proteinuria, hypertension and slow renal failure. It mainly affects young adults.
- Acute diffuse glomerulonephritis, which usually follows infection, tends to resolve and is now rare in Western countries. It includes haematuria/proteinuria and hypertension leading to acute nephritis.
- The rare crescentic glomerulonephritis leads to rapid renal failure and is commoner in middle age/older patients.
Background
| What are the causes? 
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