Search the A to Z Guide
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Medullary sponge kidney (MSK) is a congenital disorder, meaning it is present at birth. MSK occurs when small cysts (sacs) form either on tiny tubes within the kidney (known as tubules) or the collecting ducts (a channel where urine is collected for removal). These cysts can reduce the outward flow...
Nephrotic syndrome may occur when the filtering units of the kidney are damaged. This damage allows protein normally kept in the plasma to leak into the urine in large amounts, which reduces the amount of protein in your blood. Since the protein in the blood helps keep fluid in the bloodstream,...
The prostate gland is about the size of a walnut and is located below the bladder, the organ that stores urine. The prostate gland is part of the reproductive system in men. The job of the prostate gland is to make fluid for semen, which is used to carry sperm during ejaculation. Why does the...
Kidney cancer overview Kidney cancer is a disease that starts in the kidneys. It happens when healthy cells in one or both kidneys grow out of control and form a lump (called a tumor). Kidney cancer signs and symptoms In the early stages, most people don’t have...
What is Fabry Disease? Fabry disease is a rare disorder that happens when the body lacks an important enzyme called alpha-galactosidase A (alpha GAL). This enzyme breaks down certain fats so they can be removed from cells and passed out of the body or be recycled for other functions. When alpha GAL...
What is glomerular disease? Your kidneys may be small, but they perform many vital functions that help maintain your overall health, including filtering waste and excess fluids from your blood. Your kidneys have about one million tiny filter units called nephrons. Each nephron has a glomerulus, so...
What is interstitial cystitis? Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a disorder in which the bladder (the organ that stores urine before it is passed out of the body) is overly sensitive, and usual causes for this, such as infection, cannot be found. The major symptoms are: pain in the pelvic area urgent...
At least 10 million Americans suffer from incontinence, which means that they are not able to control the times when they urinate. In some cases, the loss of urine is so small that people are hardly aware of it. In other cases, the amount of leakage is quite large. Only about 10 percent of people...
What is anemia? Anemia happens when your red blood cells are in short supply. Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to all parts of your body, giving you the energy you need for your daily activities. What are the symptoms of anemia? Anemia can cause you to: Look pale Feel tired Have little...
What is an ectopic kidney? An ectopic kidney is a kidney that is out of place. An ectopic kidney is caused by a birth defect. What causes an ectopic kidney? An ectopic kidney happens while a baby is growing in the womb. Normally, the kidneys form a kidney bud within the pelvis (hip...
Urinary tract infections are responsible for nearly 10 million healthcare visits each year. Here’s what you need to know. What is the urinary tract? The urinary system (also called the “urinary tract”) is the part of your body that makes urine. It is made up of two kidneys, the ureters, the...
What is extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy? Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is a technique for treating stones in the kidney and ureter that does not require surgery. Instead, high energy shock waves are passed through the body and used to break stones into pieces as small as grains of...