Severe hemorrhagic cystitis associated with prolonged oral cyclophosphamide therapy: case report and literature review.

Severe hemorrhagic cystitis associated with oral cyclophosphamide (CYP) therapy has rarely been reported in the past 20 years, probably because this condition has largely disappeared because of the use of shorter courses of CYP, either oral or IV. Herein, we describe a patient who received 309 g of oral CYP over a 4-year period to treat Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) that initially involved brain, lung, and kidney. She came under our care for the first time when she presented with a one-day history of oliguria and passing blood clots.

Proposed pathogenesis of idiopathic loin pain-hematuria syndrome.

Background: To study loin pain-hematuria syndrome (LPHS) pathogenesis, we evaluated 43 consecutive patients for whom urological evaluation failed to disclose the cause of their recurrent flank pain and hematuria. Each underwent percutaneous kidney biopsy. In 9 patients, the biopsy specimen showed immunoglobulin A nephritis, an established cause of LPHS.

Clinical significance of fever in the systemic lupus erythematosus patient receiving steroid therapy.

Background: Active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can cause fever. Steroids (glucocorticoids) suppress SLE fever; however, the extent to which steroid therapy affects SLE fever not previously been rigorously studied.

Methods: Study A is a prospective study of recurrently active SLE patients (N= 92, 60 renal SLE and 32 nonrenal SLE) who recorded daily oral evening temperatures while participating in a longitudinal study of risk factors for SLE flare.

Mycophenolate therapy of SLE membranous nephropathy.

Background: The immunosuppressant mycophenolic acid (MMF) has been used successfully to manage proliferative forms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) glomerulonephritis (GN) World Health Organization (WHO) Classes III and IV. Less is known about MMF treatment of membranous SLE GN (WHO Class V, SLE MN).

Methods: We report our experience with MMF therapy in 13 consecutive SLE MN patients participating in a prospective study of risk factors for SLE flare.

Updates in nephrology. A summary of common diagnoses encountered in the clinical practice.

This article includes a review of hypertension, nephrolithiasis and cystic diseases of the kidney, all quite common diagnoses. These days, as concerns are growing, some are considering diabetes mellitus to be a national epidemic. Thus, our entire article focuses on the diabetic renal disease.