We are well-versed in describing to our soon-to-be ESRD patients their options: kidney transplant, hemodialysis, or peritoneal dialysis. However, in many developing countries, these options do not exist, or there may be a significant delay in getting them…
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…
Hope everybody is having a happy holiday season–even those nephrology fellows (not myself, fortunately) who are required to staff the dialysis unit in lieu of spending time with family and friends. An unusual cause of acute kidney injury…
Don’t be fooled into dialyzing patients that don’t need to be dialyzed! You have to beware of the pseudohyperkalemia. The most common cause of pseudohyperkalemia of course is due to hemolysis from venipuncture. There are other, more rare,…
There is an interesting article in the most recent New England Journal of Medicine describing the epidemiology of the now infamous Baxter heparin recall which occurred over the past year or so. In brief, a Missouri pediatric dialysis…
Nearly any primary glomerulopathy has the possibility of recurring following a kidney transplant; however, the frequency and severity with which this occurs varies to a large degree. For instance, evidence of mesangial IgA deposition can be seen in…
I saw a patient in my clinic today with the diagnosis of von Hippel-Lindau Disease. She has a Cr in the mid 2’s as a result of prior vascular disease as well as being status-post nephrectomy for a…
Amongst the given differential diagnosis for acute renal failure in liver disease is an entity termed “cholemic nephrosis.” It is debatable as to whether or not this actually exists or represents part of the spectrum of hepatorenal syndrome…
It took me until just recently to realize this, but the Tamm-Horsfall protein and uromodulin are two names for the same gene. As we all know, Tamm-Horsfall protein (discovered by Tamm and Horsfall in 1950) is the…
While toxic mushroom ingestions are generally known for their ability to cause acute liver failure, certain varieties of mushrooms can also result in acute renal failure. One such type of mushroom is Amanita smithiana, (shown at left) which…
