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A urinalysis is a simple test that looks at a small sample of your urine.  It can help find problems that need treatment, including infections or kidney problems.  It can also help find serious diseases in the early stages, like kidney disease, diabetes, or liver disease.  A...

What blood tests will I need to find out if a patient and a potential donor are a kidney match? There are three main blood tests that will determine if a patient and a potential donor are a kidney match. They are blood typing, tissue typing and cross-matching....

It is not uncommon for children to sometimes have blood in their urine (pee). Sometimes, it can change the color of the urine. Blood in a child's urine can have different causes, many of which go away on their own or are easily treated. What is hematuria? Blood in the urine is called hematuria....

The diagnosis of brain death is defined as "death based on the absence of all neurologic function." Families who have had a loved one declared brain dead may have questions about what the term really means. What does "brain death" mean? Brain death is a legal definition of death. It is the complete...

Every drug you put into your body passes through your kidneys. If the drug is not taken following your healthcare provider's instructions, or if it is an illegal substance, it can cause injury to the kidneys. Pain Medications Your kidneys could be damaged if you take large amounts of over-the-...

What is HIV? HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that infects and damages your immune system. Your immune system helps your body defend itself against infection and other disease. HIV attacks and destroys the disease-fighting cells of your immune system and leaves your body weak against...

What is hematuria? Hematuria means that red blood cells are in the urine. Urine does not normally contain red blood cells because the filters in the kidney prevent blood from entering the urine. In hematuria, the filters or other parts of the urinary tract allow blood to leak into the urine....

What is membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis? Many diseases can affect your kidney function by attacking and damaging the glomeruli, the tiny filtering units inside your kidney where blood is cleaned. The conditions that affect your glomeruli are called glomerular diseases. Glomerular diseases...

Many people feel that a successful kidney transplant offers a better quality of life than dialysis.  To be considered for one, you must be evaluated at a transplant center. This is done to make sure that a kidney transplant is the best choice for you.  The evaluation will be very...

What is minimal change disease? Many diseases can affect your kidney function by attacking and damaging the glomeruli, the tiny filtering units inside your kidney where blood is cleaned. The conditions that affect your glomeruli are called glomerular diseases. One of these conditions is minimal...

The color of your pee can offer clues into your health, but kidney disease typically doesn't show any visible symptoms, so the only way to know if you have it is to get tested. Even if your urine looks okay, kidney damage may be hiding in the form of protein. Get checked to know for sure! Clear/...

Can I be listed at multiple transplant centers? Yes, it is possible to list at multiple transplant centers. Often people choose a transplant center closest to their home for convenience, but it is possible to list at multiple transplant centers if you wish.   Why do some people choose to be...

In recent years, better ultrasound machines have allowed your doctor to see your baby's kidneys more clearly during pregnancy. Different types of problems can be found including absence of one or both kidneys, abnormal position of a kidney, hydronephrosis (swelling of a kidney), fluid-filled cysts...

What is membranous nephropathy? Many diseases can affect your kidney function by attacking and damaging the glomeruli, the tiny filtering units inside your kidney where blood is cleaned. Glomerular diseases include many conditions with many different genetic and environmental causes. Membranous...

What is C3G? C3G stands for complement 3 glomerulopathy. The "C3" refers to a blood protein that plays a key role in normal immunity and in the development of this disease. More on this later. The "G" is for glomerulopathy, meaning damage to the glomeruli in the kidney. Glomeruli filter your blood...

Hepatitis C Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) is associated with increased risk of liver fibrosis or cirrhosis and development of hepatocellular carcinoma.1,2 HCV infection is also a common indication for liver transplant in the United States. The HCV genome is a single-stranded, positive sense RNA...

How diabetes affects your whole body When diabetes is not well controlled, the sugar level in your blood goes too high. This is called hyperglycemia. High blood sugar can cause damage to many parts of your body, especially: kidneys heart blood vessels eyes feet nerves Diabetes is the leading...

Prostate cancer is now the most common cancer in American men. One of every 10 American men will develop prostate cancer at some time in his life. Prostate cancer is usually curable when caught and treated early. However, many cases are not diagnosed until the disease is advanced. Since early...

If you have diabetes, your healthcare team will work closely with you to help keep your diabetes under control. They will provide you with information and teach you about diabetes care.  They will also check your A1C, blood pressure, cholesterol, and other measures.  But most of your day-...

What is vesicoureteral reflux (VUR)? About 1-3% of all infants and children have a condition called vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), which means some of their urine flows in the wrong direction after entering the bladder. Some of the urine flows back up toward the kidneys and can increase the chance of...

Thin basement membrane disease (TBMD) is an inherited disorder that mainly affects the glomeruli, which are tiny tufts of capillaries (small blood vessels) in the kidneys that filter wastes from the blood. It is a rare disorder that has been diagnosed in less than 1 percent of the population. The...

Diagnostic tests such as MRIs, CT scans and angiograms are routinely used because they provide important information about many diseases or injuries and can help in diagnosis and treatment. In many cases, the use of a contrast dye is necessary to enhance these tests, but sometimes these dyes can...

What is a nephrectomy? Nephrectomy (nephro = kidney, ectomy = removal) is the surgical removal of a kidney. The procedure is done to treat kidney cancer as well as other kidney diseases and injuries. Nephrectomy is also done to remove a healthy kidney from a donor (either living or deceased) for...

What are blood lipids? Lipids are fat-like substances found in your blood and body tissues. Your body needs small amounts of lipids to work normally. How are my blood lipids measured? A blood test called a complete lipid profile is done. It is recommended that this test be done after an...

People with simple kidney cysts have sacs that are filled with fluid within their kidneys. It is possible to have one or more cysts in one or both kidneys. The exact cause of simple kidney cysts is not known but they tend to be more common as people age. Simple kidney cysts rarely cause problems...

What is a preemptive transplant? If you have kidney disease, getting a transplant before you need to start dialysis is called a preemptive transplant. Getting a transplant not long after kidneys fail (but with some time on dialysis) is referred to as an early transplant. Both have ...

Goodpasture's Syndrome is an uncommon autoimmune disease that affects both the kidneys and the lungs. An autoimmune disease means that the immune system, which usually protects the body from infection, attacks healthy parts of the body by mistake. What causes the disease? The body's immune system...