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What is Bilateral Renal Parenchymal Disease

Renal parenchymal disease is not a single disease but a pathological state. Renal parenchyma is opposed to renal interstitium which is the tissues of supporting and connective functions. The kidney consists of renal parenchyma and renal pelvis. Renal parenchyma can be divided into renal medulla and renal cortex. Bilateral renal parenchymal disease means that the renal impairments are in the medullar and cortical areas affecting both the two kidneys. The common unilateral renal parenchymal diseases include chronic pyelonephritis, hydronephrosis, etc and the commone bilateral renal parenchymal diseases include glomerular diseases, chronic interstitial nephritis, adult polycystic kidney disease, etc. No matter what the original cause is, renal parenchymal diseases are characterized by scarring of the kidneys. That is the gradual process of renal fibrosis and the normal renal cells and tissues are replaced by scars.

There are many factors that can cause renal parenchymal damages such as infections, toxins (including some renal toxicity medicines), abuse or improper intake of drugs, etc. Since renal parenchyma has the main functions of kidney, that is to filter metabolic wastes and toxins, balancing water, electrolyte and acid-base. In case of renal parenchymal diseases, these wastes and toxins and excessive water and electrolyte can not be discharged out of the body and there will be a series of symptoms and complications including bilateral back pain, blood in urine, edema, high blood pressure, proteinuria, increase of creatinine level, urea nitrogen and uric acid, urinary tract obstruction, isolated kidney, etc.

If the renal parenchymal damages and renal fibrosis are not reversed, the kidney’s function will be gradually lost and in the end the kidney will fail. Effective treatments should have the functions of eliminating excessive water, sodium and other harmful substances out of the body as well as improving and protecting kidney functions.