How does kidney fibrosis develop, its causes and consequences of organ damage

Kidney fibrosis is an excessive formation of connective tissue in the kidneys in the absence of symptoms of their regeneration.

This pathology is often combined with any autoimmune processes in the body. Usually.proliferation of connective tissue affects not only the kidneys, but also other organs, for example, the pancreas, intestines. The disease initially affects only one kidney. But later it strikes another. This course of pathology is observed in one third of patients. The organs that have suffered from fibrosis wrinkle with their pelvises greatly enlarged in size. And the internal structure of the affected kidney is completely broken. In addition, the urinary tracts are affected, their lumen is diminished, and the walls are thickened. Vessels supplying kidneys with blood are also exposed to disease.

With the development of fibrosis around the kidneys, a large amount of connective tissue is formed. Sometimes such a process is observed with prolonged use of medicines for migraines or for the treatment of hypertensive disease.

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Primary lesion, as a rule, is formed in a fixed place - this is an external capsule, which contains the kidney itself and its fat capsule. In addition, the source of primary lesions are retroperitoneal structures or vessels that supply blood to the kidney.

There is an opinion that fibrosis starts to develop due to the allergic reaction, some signs indicate the autoimmune origin of the disease. Malignant neoplasms, the effect on the human body of chemotherapy. Irradiation, as well as tuberculosis in the spine can also serve as an etiological factor in the manifestation of kidney fibrosis.

In addition to all of the above reasons, the development of fibrosis is facilitated by trauma, various mechanical irritations, chronic body poisoning, chronic infectious lesions.

Due to the variety of causes of fibrosis development, the disease is classified into primary and secondary forms. Primary fibrosis correlates with autoimmune lesions, and secondary fibrosis - with various diseases and pathological conditions of the human body.

How this pathology manifests itself

Symptoms of kidney fibrosis can be quite diverse. The patient complains of the pain in the lower back, sometimes the pain radiates into the inguinal zone. The patient may also suffer from excess fluid in the body. Due to the violation of blood flow in a person can for some time be taken away arms or legs, changes gait and at times quite swollen legs.

If the disease has had an effect on the nerve plexus, then the patient ceases to properly perceive the temperature regime of the environment. In addition, urinary leakage is accompanied by pain and over time, signs of renal failure are formed. A person at the same time strongly weakens, loses an appetite and can not work productively, his digestive processes are disrupted.

The degree of development of the disease is explained by the relationship between collagen degradation and its synthesis. Reversibility of pathological processes, that is, the disappearance of the resulting connective tissue depends on the capabilities of macrophages that dissolve collagen. And also on the chemical composition of the basic substance.

In the centers of formation of fibrosis passive and active parts of connective tissue are distinguished. Active sites enriched with cellular elements and appear in the foci of active fibrosis due to the appearance in the connective tissue of fibroblasts. Passive sites are the result of the collapse in the necrotic foci of the kidney parenchyma and contain a small number of cells.

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So, the main symptoms of renal fibrosis are: pain in the lower back, pain in the inguinal zone, delay in excretion of fluid from the body, disturbance of blood flow in the legs and their swelling, numbness in the legs, occasional claudication, pain during urination, lack of appetite, constipation, sluggishstate and apathy.

Implementation of diagnostic measures

In 30% of cases in a patient, a doctor can feel a seal by the type of tumor in the pelvic region or in the abdomen.

Laboratory blood tests indicate the presence of anemia, a moderate concentration of leukocytes, the acceleration of erythrocyte sedimentation. In the urine, a protein is detected. With prolonged course of the disease, the concentration of xantoprotein bodies, uric acid and creatinine increases.

X-ray examination in the development of fibrosis in the kidney will show the disorders that form in the ureters - the ureters can take a crimp form, narrow or expand, change their location in relation to the spine. With fibrosis, the pelvis of the affected kidneys expand.

Kidney angiography or radionuclide examination is used to determine the norm of kidney function.

Treatment for fibrosis

In acute renal fibrosis, the patient is given steroid hormone therapy, with chronic form ureterolysis, and the activity of obstructive processes is reduced due to nephrostomy or by stent placement.

If there is a suspicion about the medical origin of the disease, it is required to immediately stop taking medications. For successful therapy, it is necessary to stop the development of chronic infectious processes in the organs of the genitourinary and digestive system. Treatment of kidney fibrosis in the early stages through a large dosage of corticosteroids and resorptive drugs can stop the development of the disease.

In the late stages of the development of pathology already implemented such surgical treatments, as:

1. Ureterolysis - the process of releasing the ureter from scar tissue that squeezes it.
2. Nephrostomy is the excretion of urine from the kidney due to the special drainage in the container.
3. Nephrectomy - removal of ureters and their subsequent replacement by plastic tubes - this technology can be used only under the condition of one-sided lesion and if the paired organ functions normally.
4. Substitution of the ureter with the segment of the small intestine.
5. Creating an artificial shell near the ureter.
6. Autotransplantation of the kidney - the process of moving the kidney in the iliac zone, when the reimplantation of vessels and ureters.

After the operation, the patient is shown taking large doses of corticosteroids to prevent the growth of fibrous tissue for two or three months.

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When performing conservative treatment and after the operation, it will be necessary to perform ultrasound examination of the kidneys every six months, to pass a biochemical blood test and general urine tests.

If the doctor has prescribed the use of hydralazine medicines, initially it will be necessary to check the condition of the blood vessels and then regularly examine the kidneys and urinary canals, and stop taking medication even with the slightest disruption of their work.

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