Topic: Chronic glomerulonephritis Course: ATOT IInd year Faculty: Pathology Chronic glomerulonephritis: definition, etiology, morphology, clinical features, complications

1. CHRONIC
GLOMERULONEPHRITIS
Dr. Salman Ansari
MBBS

2. Glomerulonephritis
● Term for group of diseases which involve the glomeruli of the kidney
● Glomerulus: specialised bundle of capillaries, which makes up the
nephron
● Function of glomerulus is to filter blood

4. Chronic glomerulonephritis
Definition: it is the end-stage of many types of glomerulonephritis
- Progresses to renal failure

5. Etiology
● Crescentic glomerulonephritis
● Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis(FSGS)
● Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis(MPGN)
● IgA nephropathy
● Membranous nephropathy
● Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis - rare

6. Morphology
Gross:
● Both kidneys are small and contracted
● Cortical surface is granular
● Cut section: shows thin cortex
● Capsule is difficult to remove because of adhesions

7. Microscopy:
● Glomeruli: reduced in number and completely hyalinised tufts, appearing as
acellular eosinophilic masses
● Tubules: marked atrophy
● Interstitium: interstitial fibrosis, chronic inflammatory cells seen
● Blood vessels: changes of hypertension are seen - thickened blood
vessels

8. ● Shrunken in size
● Surface is granular

9. ● Small and contracted kidneys
● Adherent capsule
● Granular surface

11. Clinical features
● Usually adults
● Uremia
● Hypertension
● Progresses to renal failure over a period of years
● Non-specific complaints:
● loss of appetite
● Vomiting
● Anemia
● Weakness
● Patients die unless they receive a renal transplant

13. Uremic complications
Patients of chronic renal failure may show complications due to uremia.
These include:
● Uremic pericarditis
● Uremic gastroenteritis
● Secondary hyperparathyroidism with nephrocalcinosis and renal
osteodystrophy
● Left ventricular hypertrophy due to hypertension
● Diffuse alveolar damage (uremic pneumonitis).

14. Summary
● Definition
● Etiology
● Morphology
● Gross
● Small and shrunken kidneys, granular surface
● Microscopic
● Hyalinised glomerulus, chronic inflammatory cells,
thickened blood vessels
● Clinical features

15. References:
Ramadas Nayak - Textbook of Pathology for
Allied Health Sciences
Harsh Mohan - Textbook of Pathology
Questions:
salman.s.ansari92@gmail.com
For notes: