We have had a rush of patients with isolated hematuria in my clinic recently. The question that occupies so much precious time of the nephrologist reared it’s head……. ‘what are the indications for a renal biopsy’. Isolated persistent…
IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is an unpredictable beast, and identifying patients who will go on to develop progressive disease can be challenging. The classic predictors of progression, namely heavy proteinuria, CKD, glomerular sclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis, are themselves just…
The results of last week’s poll on IgA Nephropathy are in: 90% of individuals correctly identified that the only treatment shown in randomized controlled trials to consistently benefit patients with IgA Nephropathy is ACE-inhibitors and/or ARBs. The response…
Unfortunately, other than blockade of the renin-angiotensin system via ACE-inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, there are not a lot of evidence-based treatment options for IgA Nephropathy. One other potential addition to the therapeutic regimen for IgA Nephropathy–depending on…
Saw a case in the clinic today of a 40-ish year old woman who was diagnosed about a year and a half ago with Henoch-Schonlein purpura. This is notable in that usually this is a pediatric disease–though as…
Heard a case this morning regarding an elderly white patient who presented with nephrotic syndrome and minimal hematuria. After going through the extensive differential diagnosis, focusing largely on the likely candidates (membranous nephropathy and minimal change disease), the…
We are all relatively familiar with the WHO classification system for lupus nephritis, which gives nephrologists a relatively good idea of renal prognosis based on the histologic findings of renal biopsy. A similar type of system has been…
IgA Nephropathy & Post-Strep Glomerulonephritis (PSGN) are both relatively common causes of glomerulonephritis which can both be associated with upper respiratory infections. How can you tell them apart? One of the most important distinctions can be made in…
The history of IgA Nephropathy is notable, in large part due to the many famous names of medicine which are associated with it. The disease was first described in 1801 by Heberden (of “Heberden’s nodes” fame) in a…
IgA Nephropathy is the most common cause of glomerulonephritis globally. It is especially common in Japan, although some of this prevalence may be due to increased screening (all school children undergo a screening urinalysis as part of their…
