Sclerosis of the kidneys - diagnosis and treatment of the pathological process

Kidney sclerosis is characterized by their compaction and deformation, due to the proliferation of connective tissue.

In nephrosclerosis, the kidney becomes denser and decreases in size. As a consequence, in the human body, the amount of metabolic products that must be removed through the kidney increases.

Causes and pathogenesis of the disease

The causes of the development of such a pathology as renal sclerosis, the most diverse. Hypertensive disease leads to the development of arteriosclerotic nephrosclerosis or primary wrinkling of the kidney. Sclerosis can occur against the background of dystrophic transformations of the glomeruli, tubules or stroma - these are signs of a second wrinkled kidney. Also, this pathology develops as a result of chronic glomerulonephritis, amyloid nephrosis, pyelonephritis, kidney tuberculosis or infarction. Sclerosis of the kidneys leads to the development of renal failure, regardless of the cause of development.

There are two types of nephrosclerosis:

• primary( blood supply is affected);
• secondary( parenchyma and interstitium are affected).

Primary renal sclerosis develops due to narrowing of the arteries, for example due to the development of atherosclerosis, thrombosis, thromboembolism, congestion of venous blood in the kidneys or as a result of age-related changes in blood vessels.

Secondary renal sclerosis is characterized by inflammatory and dystrophic processes occurring in the kidney due to the development of diseases such as glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, syphilis and tuberculosis of the kidneys, diabetes mellitus or amyloidosis.

Clinical manifestations of

Clinic manifestations of primary nephrosclerosis can be detected in the late stages of hypertension. One of the earliest signs is polyuria and nocturia, as is often found in protenuria and macrohematuria. Reducing the concentration ability of the kidney is the same as the clinical manifestations of sclerosis. In severe vascular lesions, there is an increase in pressure, up to manifestations of arterial hypertension.

This is important! It is also characteristic of a rapid increase in diastolic pressure, which contributes to the development of coronary insufficiency, cerebral hemorrhage, edema of the papilla of the optic nerve or detachment of the retina.

The manifestations of secondary nephrosclerosis can be either very minor or very severe, for example, conditions accompanied by edema, severe arterial hypertension, or acute renal failure.

Diagnosis of the disease

With the help of a sample in Zimnitskiy you can assess the concentration ability of the kidneys, any deviations may indicate a violation of their work, and, consequently, the development of sclerosis.

To confirm the correct diagnosis, it is necessary to evaluate the results of X-ray, ultrasound and radionuclide studies.

In ultrasound, changes in the size of the kidney, the thickness of the parenchyma, the atrophy of the cortex and its relationship to the brain substance are observed.

With urography, there is an increase in the volume of the kidney, a thickening of the cortical layer of the parenchyma, and calcium deposition. On an angiogram, specialists can detect narrowing of small arteries, uneven contours of the affected kidney and a decrease in the cortical layer.

During the radionuclide study, there is a delayed accumulation and excretion of the radiopharmaceutical.

The scintigraphy reveals the uneven distribution of the radionuclide in the tissue of the affected kidney.

Prevention and treatment of the sclerosis of the kidney

In order for the disease not to continue to progress it is necessary to regulate the amount of table salt used in the diet of the patient. Another important factor in the treatment and prevention of nephrosclerosis is the use of hypertensive drugs. Intensive hypertensive therapy can cause a drop in renal blood flow and an increase in azotemia.

During the development of azotemia, specialists prescribe a diet with a restriction in the use of protein, vitamin D2, diuretics, enterosorbents and anabolic agents.

In malignant hypertensive disease, which contributes to the development of nephrosclerosis, they resort to embolization of the renal arteries. In such cases, the patient is shown hemodialysis or transplantation of the affected organ.

Preventative measures are aimed at the timely detection and treatment of pathologies that promote the development of sclerosis of the kidneys.

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