Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Albuminuria
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Albuminuria is a pathological condition where albumin is present in the urine. It is a type of proteinuria.
Causes
Causes
Life Threatening Causes
Common Causes
The kidneys normally filter out large molecules from the urine, so albuminuria can be an indicator of damage to the kidneys. It can also occur in patients with long-standing diabetes especially type 1 diabetes.
Causes of albuminuria can be discriminated between by the amount of protein excreted.
- The nephrotic syndrome usually results in the excretion of about 3.0 to 3.5 grams per 24 hours.
- Nephritic syndrome results in far less albuminuria.
- Microalbuminuria (less than 300mg) can be a forerunner of diabetic nephropathy.
Causes by Organ System
| Cardiovascular | No underlying causes |
| Chemical/Poisoning | No underlying causes |
| Dental | No underlying causes |
| Dermatologic | No underlying causes |
| Drug Side Effect | Bacitracin, foscarnet sodium, Methenamine, Polymyxin B, Trimethadione |
| Ear Nose Throat | No underlying causes |
| Endocrine | No underlying causes |
| Environmental | No underlying causes |
| Gastroenterologic | No underlying causes |
| Genetic | No underlying causes |
| Hematologic | No underlying causes |
| Iatrogenic | No underlying causes |
| Infectious Disease | No underlying causes |
| Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic | No underlying causes |
| Neurologic | No underlying causes |
| Nutritional/Metabolic | No underlying causes |
| Obstetric/Gynecologic | No underlying causes |
| Oncologic | No underlying causes |
| Ophthalmologic | No underlying causes |
| Overdose/Toxicity | No underlying causes |
| Psychiatric | No underlying causes |
| Pulmonary | No underlying causes |
| Renal/Electrolyte | No underlying causes |
| Rheumatology/Immunology/Allergy | No underlying causes |
| Sexual | No underlying causes |
| Trauma | No underlying causes |
| Urologic | No underlying causes |
| Miscellaneous | No underlying causes |
Causes in Alphabetical Order
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Diagnosis
Diagnosis
Laboratory Findings
The amount of protein being lost in the urine can be quantified by collecting the urine for 24 hours, measuring a sample of the pooled urine, and extrapolating to the volume collected.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]