Condition Lookup
Category:
Vascular Kidney Diseases
Number of Conditions: 5
Renal Artery Stenosis
Specialty: Nephrology
Category: Vascular Kidney Diseases
Symptoms:
resistant hypertension; decreased kidney function; pulmonary edema; fatigue; swelling in extremities
Root Cause:
Narrowing of one or both renal arteries due to atherosclerosis or fibromuscular dysplasia reduces blood flow, impairing kidney function and causing hypertension.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Renal Doppler ultrasound, CT angiography, MRI angiography, and kidney function tests.
Treatment:
Blood pressure management, angioplasty with or without stenting, and in rare cases, surgical revascularization.
Medications:
ACE inhibitors or ARBs, beta-blockers, statins (to lower cholesterol), and antiplatelet agents (e.g., aspirin ).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common in older adults with atherosclerosis; affects approximately 5-10% of those with coronary artery disease.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, advanced age, and fibromuscular dysplasia.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with timely intervention; untreated cases can lead to progressive renal dysfunction and severe hypertension.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Renovascular hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular events like heart attack or stroke.
Renovascular Hypertension
Specialty: Nephrology
Category: Vascular Kidney Diseases
Symptoms:
high blood pressure resistant to treatment; kidney dysfunction; fluid retention; headaches; dizziness; vision changes
Root Cause:
Narrowing of the renal arteries (renal artery stenosis) reduces blood flow to the kidneys, triggering the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and causing secondary hypertension.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Blood pressure measurements, renal artery imaging (CT angiography, MRI angiography, Doppler ultrasound), renal function tests (serum creatinine, eGFR), and renin levels.
Treatment:
Lifestyle modifications, blood pressure control, revascularization procedures (angioplasty or stenting), or surgical bypass in severe cases.
Medications:
ACE inhibitors or ARBs (to block renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activity), beta-blockers (to reduce heart rate and blood pressure), calcium channel blockers, diuretics, and antiplatelet therapy if atherosclerosis is present.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Approximately 1-5% of all cases of secondary hypertension; higher in older adults with atherosclerosis.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Atherosclerosis, smoking, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, advanced age, and fibromuscular dysplasia (in younger individuals).
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with early diagnosis and management; untreated cases may lead to progressive kidney damage and cardiovascular complications.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic kidney disease, heart failure, stroke, and hypertensive crises.
Hypertensive Nephropathy
Specialty: Nephrology
Category: Vascular Kidney Diseases
Symptoms:
proteinuria; hematuria; swelling in legs; fatigue; decreased urine output; high blood pressure
Root Cause:
Chronic hypertension damages the small blood vessels in the kidneys, leading to decreased kidney function and scarring (nephrosclerosis).
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Blood pressure readings, urinalysis (proteinuria and hematuria), renal function tests (eGFR, creatinine levels), and imaging (ultrasound, CT).
Treatment:
Blood pressure control through lifestyle changes, medications, and monitoring for kidney function decline.
Medications:
ACE inhibitors, ARBs, diuretics, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common cause of chronic kidney disease, particularly in individuals with long-standing hypertension.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Chronic hypertension, obesity, smoking, diabetes, and family history of kidney disease.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Manageable with effective blood pressure control; progression to end-stage kidney disease is possible if untreated.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic kidney disease, end-stage renal disease, and cardiovascular diseases.
Atheroembolic Renal Disease
Specialty: Nephrology
Category: Vascular Kidney Diseases
Symptoms:
sudden kidney dysfunction; skin changes (blue toes or livedo reticularis); abdominal pain; fever; weight loss
Root Cause:
Cholesterol crystals or debris from atherosclerotic plaques embolize to the renal arteries, causing ischemia and inflammation in the kidneys.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Kidney biopsy, imaging studies (angiography, CT), and lab tests (eosinophilia, elevated creatinine).
Treatment:
Supportive care, management of underlying atherosclerosis, and avoidance of anticoagulation if possible.
Medications:
Statins, antiplatelet agents (e.g., aspirin , clopidogrel ), and occasionally corticosteroids for inflammation.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare but increasing with the rise of cardiovascular interventions.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Atherosclerosis, recent vascular procedures, advanced age, and hypertension.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Poor if left untreated; progressive renal dysfunction is common.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic kidney disease, end-stage renal disease, and systemic embolization.
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS)
Specialty: Nephrology
Category: Vascular Kidney Diseases
Sub-category: Thrombotic Microangiopathies
Symptoms:
pale skin; fatigue; bloody diarrhea; reduced urination; swelling; bruising; confusion; high blood pressure
Root Cause:
HUS is caused by damage to the small blood vessels in the kidneys, often due to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), leading to hemolysis, thrombocytopenia, and acute kidney injury.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Diagnosis involves clinical history (e.g., recent diarrheal illness), blood tests (low hemoglobin, elevated creatinine, fragmented red blood cells on a peripheral smear), stool tests for Shiga toxin, and ADAMTS13 enzyme activity (to rule out TTP).
Treatment:
Treatment includes supportive care such as fluid management, dialysis for severe kidney failure, blood transfusions if needed, and sometimes plasma exchange or eculizumab (in atypical HUS).
Medications:
Treatment may include Eculizumab (a monoclonal antibody targeting complement protein C5, used for atypical HUS), antihypertensive agents (for blood pressure control), and antiplatelet drugs (in certain cases of atypical HUS).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
HUS is rare, with an incidence of about 2 cases per 100,000 people per year in developed countries.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Consumption of contaminated food, recent gastrointestinal infections (especially with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli), genetic mutations in complement regulation (atypical HUS), and immune suppression.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
With prompt treatment, many patients recover, although atypical HUS has a higher risk of recurrence and long-term complications. Chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease may develop in severe cases.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Kidney failure, neurological complications (e.g., seizures, stroke), high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease.