Kidney Disease

∞ generated and posted on 2016.04.09 ∞

Diseases and conditions of the urinary system, i.e., as associated with the kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra, or associated urethral sphincters.

Disease of the kidney (renal diseases) or the urinary system more generally include bladder cancer, cystitis, end-stage renal disease, glomerulonephritis, glomerulosclerosis, hematuria, hemolytic uremic syndrome, kidney cancer, interstitial cystitis, kidney stones, nephrotic syndrome, polycystic kidney disease, renal failure, renal vascular disease, tubular necrosis, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infection, etc.

This page contains the following terms: Cystitis, Kidney stone, Renal failure


Inflammation of the urinary bladder such as caused by urinary tract infections.
Another, more common name for cystitis, as caused by infection, is bladder infection. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) that involve the bladder also can be described as an "acute cystitis", and more generally UTIs include infections not just of bladder but also of the urethra.

Links to terms of possible interest: Acute cystitis, Bladder, Bladder infections, Cystitis, Female, Female urinary tract, Inflammation, Kidney, Lower urinary tract infections, Male, Male urinary tract, Scrotum, Testicle, Ureter, Urethra, Urethral opening, Urinary bladder, Urinary system, Urinary tract infections

The above video specifically considers lower urinary tract infections and particularly in terms of women, who tend to experience especially bladder infections more frequently than men.

Kidney stone

Common name for renal calculus.
Renal referring to the kidneys and calculus meaning stone or concretion, kidney stones consist of various solid materials and are found in various locations in or downstream from the kidney. They generally form in men though can form in women as well. They will dislodge and pass out of the body with urine unless they reach sufficient size that they become lodged particularly in the ureter. If this occurs then urine passage can be blocked and pain along with other symptoms can occur.

Links to terms of possible interest: Calyceal stone, Kidney, Kidney stone, Nephrons, Renal, Renal calculus, Renal pelvic stone, Renal pelvis, Symptoms, Upper ureteral stone, Ureter, Urine

The above video describes the formation of kidney stones, why they can a problem, and also how to treat kidney stones.

Renal failure

Lack of sufficient filtration of the blood by the kidneys.
Renal failure is also described as kidney failure and/or kidney insufficiency. This results from either injury or instead disease. Renal failure can be differentiated into acute renal failure (shorter duration and/or more-rapid onset) versus chronic renal failure (longer duration and often less-rapid onset), with the latter typically not be reversible.

Renal failure can involve either production of too little urine (as associated usually with production of too little glomerular filtrate) or instead the production of urine that possesses materials that otherwise should not belong in urine, such as proteins, which are an indication that unusually large materials are successfully entering into glomerular filtrate. If too much material is lost in urine, then this can deplete the blood and therefore the body of needed substances (e.g., calcium). If too little material is removed into urine, including water, then hemodialysis can be necessary. Renal failure, versus underlying disease, can be treated also via kidney transplant.

Links to terms of possible interest: Acute tubular necrosis, Bilateral ureteral obstruction, Bladder outlet obstruction, Blood pressure, Congestive heart failure, Extracellular fluid, Glomerular filtrate, Hemodialysis, Hypertension, Kidney failure, Kidney transplant, Kidneys, Renal failure, Symptoms, Urine

The above video discusses especially the symptoms as well as treatment of kidney failure.


Means of artificial filtration of blood outside of the body as required given reduced kidney functioning.
Typically referred to simply as dialysis, hemodialysis is a fairly routine procedure that involves the routing of a flow of blood from a patient into an ultrafiltration devise. In addition to removing materials normally removed by kidney function, such as urea, it can be necessary during hemodialysis to assure the removal of water as well (as too does the kidney) if kidney functioning is sufficiently reduced that normal urination no longer adequately occurs. Note though that dialysis also can be accomplished by alternative means to hemodialysis.

Links to terms of possible interest: Arterial blood, Artery, Blood port, Blood proteins, Blood pressure, Blood pump, Cellophane tubes, Circulation, Clot, Dialysate, Dialysis, Dialyzer, Filtration of blood, Formed elements, Hemodialysis, Kidney, Semipermeable membrane, Ultrafiltration, Vascular, Venous blood, Waste products

The above video is a nice, relatively low level introduction to hemodialysis.

The above video provides a slightly more detailed look at different dialysis procedures.