kidney disease, any one of a large group of conditions, including infectious, inflammatory, obstructive, vascular, and neoplastic disorders of the kidney. Characteristics of kidney disease are hematuria, persistent proteinuria, pyuria, edema, dysuria, and pain in the flank. Specific symptoms vary with the type of disorder. For example, hematuria with severe, colicky pain suggests obstruction by a kidney stone; hematuria without pain may indicate renal carcinoma; proteinuria is generally a sign of disease in the glomerulus, or filtration unit, of the kidney; pyuria indicates infectious disease; and edema is characteristic of the nephrotic syndrome. Diagnosis of kidney disease is made after laboratory tests and other diagnostic procedures or radiography has been performed. Among the special tests for kidney disorders are excretory urography, IV pyelography, tests of the glomerular filtration rate, biopsy, and ultrasound examination. Treatment depends on the type of disease diagnosed. Some forms of advanced kidney disease may lead to renal failure, coma, and death unless hemodialysis is started. See also glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, renal failure, urinary calculus.
