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ChronicGlomerulonephritis
Etiology

Since chronic glomerulonephritis is not a single disease but a common final pathway for many types of glomerulonephritides, the etiology is diverse.
Pathogenesis

Regardless of the initiating type of glomerulonephritis, the term chronic glomerulonephritis implies persistent or irreversible glomerular injury in the majority of the glomeruli, usually in the form of sclerosis.
The progression to a state of chronic glomerulonephritis may be rapid (months) or insidious and slow (decades).,
Epidemiology

Since chronic glomerulonephritis is not a single disease but a common pathway for many types of glomerulonephritides, the epidemiology is diverse.
General Gross Description

The kidneys in long standing glomerular diseases are bilaterally small due to marked reduction in renal mass.
The cortex is thin and the surface of the kidney is diffusely granular.
Because of reduced renal parenchyma, the fat in the renal sinus appears grossly increased.
•Examples:
General Microscopic Description

The glomeruli in chronic glomerulonephritis show the results of persistent and progressive injury, namely sclerosis.
Regardless of the type of glomerular disease, eventually the histology is one of hyalinized, acellular sclerotic glomeruli, atrophic tubules, intestitial fibrosis and arterial intimal fibroelastosis.
•Examples:
End Stage Kidney
Clinical Correlation

Patients with chronic glomerulonephritis are in varying stages of renal insufficiency or in chronic renal failure.
Patients will have a variety of non-specific complaints and tend to be hypertensive and proteinuric with laboratory values reflecting azotemia.
References

Cotran RS, Kumar V, Robbins SL: Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. 5th ed. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders, 1994, pp. 958-959.
Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 13th Ed: Isselbach et. al. (eds). New York, McGraw-Hill, 1994, pp. 1150-7.

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ChronicGlomerulonephritis
Synopsis by: Harold Yamase M.D. (T71200M43000)[113]
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