Nephritic Syndrome

Nephrotic syndrome is a disease characterized by the appearance of blood in the urine (hematuria), elevated blood pressure (high blood pressure) and an acute renal function failure that causes the child to urinate less, and retain fluid and swell (edema). All these alterations may appear together or not and to varying degrees.

Why does it occur?

The nephrotic syndrome occurs because the kidney becomes inflamed, specifically internal structures called glomeruli that act as a filter or strainer. This inflammation of the glomerulus (glomerulonephritis) usually occurs after an infection, such as angina or skin infection caused by a bacterium called streptococcus (acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis). It is not a kidney infection but occurs as a result of inflammatory response after infection. Other times, the glomerulus is altered without a known cause (primary glomerulonephritis) or by diseases that affect other parts of the body, such as in systemic lupus erythematosus, or IgA nephropathy (immunoglobulin A).