Glomerulonephritis

Synonyms

Glomerular disease; Glomerulopathy; GN; Nephritis

Definitions

Glomerular diseases are classified as primary and secondary. Primary glomerulopathies are those disorders that affect glomerular structure, function, or both in the absence of a multisystem disorder. The clinical manifestations are predominately the consequence of the glomerular lesion, and lead to a variety of clinical syndromes.

The terms glomerulonephritis, glomerulopathy, and glomerular disease are usually used interchangeably to denote glomerular injury, although some authors reserve the former term for injury with evidence of inflammation such as leukocyte infiltration, antibody deposition, and complement activation.

Pathology/Histopathology

The glomerular tuft is composed of four major components: the endothelial cells, the podocytes, the mesangium, and the capillary loop basement membrane. The capillary wall carries a net negative charge, and acts as both a charge‐selective and size‐selective filter. The...