Pancreas

Acute Pancreatitis
Definition- a condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed over a
short period of time
Etiology: a reversible inflammatory disorder that varies from focal
edema and fat necrosis to widespread hemorrhagic necrosis
Epidemiology: a relatively common condition, with an annual
incidence of 10 to 20 per 100,000
Brief Pathophysiology: Caused by autodigestion of the pancreas by
inappropriately activated pancreatic enzymes
Clinical Manifestation: Most common symptom of acute pancreatitis is
abdominal pain

Chronic Pancreatitis
Definition- inflammation of the pancreas that does not heal or improve
it gets worse over time and leads to permanent damage
Etiology: long-standing inflammation that leads to irreversible
destruction of the exocrine pancreas
Epidemiology: most common cause of chronic pancreatitis is long-
term alcohol abuse, more common in middle aged men
Brief Pathophysiology: parenchymal fibrosis, reduced number and
size of acini, and variable dilation of the pancreatic ducts
Clinical Manifestation: Symptoms include jaundice, vague indigestion,
or persistent or recurrent abdominal and back pain

Pancreatic Carcinoma
Definition- Cancer that begins in the organ lying behind the lower part
of the stomach
Etiology: Cancer cells form in the cells of the pancreas, caused by
smoking and gene mutation
Epidemiology: Third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United
States
Brief Pathophysiology: most common antecedent lesions of pancreatic
cancer arise in small ducts and ductules and often extend through the
retroperitoneal space, adjacent nerves, and occasionally invade the
spleen, adrenal glands, vertebral column, colon, and stomach
Clinical Manifestation: Symptoms of this disease are Weight loss,
anorexia, and generalized malaise and weakness

Cystic Neoplasms
Definition- are fluid-filled sacs (cysts) within the pancreas
Etiology: Diverse tumors that range from harmless benign cysts to
invasive, potentially lethal, cancers
Epidemiology: Female-to-male ratio is 2:1, 5% to 15% of all pancreatic
cysts are neoplastic and only account for less than 5% of all
pancreatic neoplasms
Brief Pathophysiology: Arise in the main pancreatic ducts or one of its
major branch ducts and are usually benign and can be cured with
surgery
Clinical Manifestation: Some symptoms include abdominal pain, and
nausea and vomiting

Kidney

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Minimal-Change Disease
Definition- a kidney disease in which large amounts of protein is lost in
the urine
Etiology: most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in children, the
cause of this disease is unknown
Epidemiology: may develop at any age, but is most common between
1 and 7 years of age
Brief Pathophysiology: manifests abruptly nephrotic syndrome in an
otherwise healthy child, protein loss usually is confined to smaller
plasma proteins
Clinical Manifestation: Some symptoms are swelling in body parts like
legs, ankles and around eyes

Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis

Definition- a type of glomerular disease and scarring (sclerosis) in your
kidney
Etiology: sclerosis of some glomeruli that involves only a part of each
affected glomerulus
Epidemiology: may be primary (idiopathic) or secondary to one of the
following, HIV infection and Heroin abuse
Brief Pathophysiology: Injury to podocytes is thought to represent the
initiating event of primary FSGS, what causes this injury remains
unknown
Clinical Manifestation: Some symptoms are hematuria and
hypertension

Membranous Nephropathy
Definition- occurs when the small blood vessels in the kidney, which
filter wastes from the blood, become damaged and thickened

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Etiology: occurs when the small blood vessels in the kidney become
damaged and thickened
Epidemiology: usually present in adults between the ages of 30 and
60 years
Brief Pathophysiology: proteins leak from the damaged blood vessels
into the urine
Clinical Manifestation: Some symptoms of this disease are swelling in
body parts like your legs, ankles and around your eyes and fatigue

Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis
Definition- a form of glomerulonephritis caused by an abnormal
immune response
Etiology: Caused by an abnormal immune response
Epidemiology: accounts for 5% to 10% of cases of idiopathic nephrotic
syndrome in children and adults
Brief Pathophysiology: Deposits of antibodies build up in the
glomerular basement membrane
Clinical Manifestation: Common symptoms are acute nephritis or mild
proteinuria

Acute Postinfectious (Poststreptococcal) Glomerulonephritis

Definition- an immunologically-mediated, nonsuppurative, delayed
sequela of pharyngitis or skin infections caused by nephritogenic
strains of S. pyogenes
Etiology: caused by glomerular deposition of immune complexes
resulting in proliferation of and damage to glomerular cells
Epidemiology: typical case of poststreptococcal GN develops in a
child 1 to 4 weeks after he or she recovers from a group A
streptococcal infection

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Brief Pathophysiology: tissue injury is primarily caused by complement
activation by the classical pathway
Clinical Manifestation: Common symptoms are edema and
hypertension, with mild to moderate azotemia

IgA Nephropathy
Definition- a chronic kidney disease, it is caused by deposits of the
protein immunoglobulin A (IgA) inside the filters in the kidney
Etiology: a kidney disease that occurs when an antibody called
immunoglobulin A (IgA) builds up in your kidneys
Epidemiology: condition usually affects children and young adults and
begins as an episode of gross hematuria that occurs within 1 or 2
days of an upper respiratory tract infection
Brief Pathophysiology: abnormal IgA may elicit an autoimmune
response, and autoantibodies may form large immune complexes with
circulating IgA
Clinical Manifestation: Symptoms include gross hematuria and
proteinuria

Acute Pyelonephritis
Definition- an infection of the renal pelvis and kidney that usually
results from ascent of a bacterial pathogen up the ureters from the
bladder to the kidneys
Etiology: Inflammation of the kidney and the renal pelvis, caused by
bacterial infection
Epidemiology: after the first year of life an age by which congenital
anomalies in males commonly become evident and up to
approximately 40 years of age, infections are much more frequent in
females

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Brief Pathophysiology: bacterial invasion of the renal parenchyma,
bacteria usually reach the kidney by ascending from the lower urinary
tract
Clinical Manifestation: Symptoms of this disease include pain at the
costovertebral angle, chills, fever, nausea, malaise, and localizing
urinary tract signs of dysuria

Nephrosclerosis
Definition- hardening of the walls of the small arteries and arterioles of
the kidney
Etiology: Sclerosis of small renal arteries and arterioles
Epidemiology: Some degree of nephrosclerosis, albeit mild, is present
in many individuals older than 60 years of age
Brief Pathophysiology: hardening of the walls of the small arteries and
arterioles of the kidney
Clinical Manifestation: Some symptoms include some functional
impairment, such as loss of concentrating ability

Autosomal Dominant (Adult) Polycystic Kidney Disease

Definition- an inherited disorder in which clusters of cysts develop
primarily within your kidneys, causing your kidneys to enlarge and lose
function over time
Etiology: Multiple expanding cysts affecting both kidneys that
ultimately destroy the intervening parenchyma
Epidemiology: Seen in approximately 1 in 500 to 1000 individuals and
accounts for 10% of cases of chronic kidney disease

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Brief Pathophysiology: The kidney may reach enormous size,
composed solely of cysts of up to 3 or 4 cm in diameter, the cysts are
filled with fluid, which may be clear, turbid, or hemorrhagic
Clinical Manifestation: Common symptoms include flank pain or a
heavy, dragging sensation

Hydronephrosis
Definition- swelling of a kidney due to a build-up of urine, it happens
when urine cannot drain out from the kidney to the bladder from a
blockage or obstruction
Etiology: Dilation of the renal pelvis and calyces
Epidemiology: Is common in pregnancy but mild and reversable
Brief Pathophysiology: obstruction to the outflow of urine, may occur
at any level of the urinary tract, from the urethra to the renal pelvis
Clinical Manifestation: The most common symptom is bladder
distention