Nephritis
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Overview
Nephritis is inflammation of the kidney. The word comes from the Greek nephro- meaning “of the kidney” and -itis meaning “inflammation”. Nephritis is often caused by infections, toxins, and auto-immune diseases.
Subtypes
Subtypes
- Glomerulonephritis is inflammation of the glomeruli. (Often when the term “nephritis” is used without qualification, this is the condition meant.)
- Interstitial nephritis or tubulo-interstitial nephritis is inflammation is of the spaces between renal tubules.
- Pyelonephritis is when a urinary tract infection has reached the pyelum (pelvis) of the kidney.
- Lupus nephritis is an inflammation of the kidney caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a disease of the immune system.
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