malignant nephrosclerosis

malignant nephrosclerosis

n.

Nephrosclerosis occurring in malignant hypertension.

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nephrosclerosis [nef″ro-sklĕ-ro´sis]

hardening of the kidney, usually associated with hypertension and disease of the renal arterioles. It is characterized as benign or malignant depending on the severity and rapidity of the hypertension and arteriolar changes.

arteriolar nephrosclerosis that involving chiefly the arterioles, with degeneration of the renal tubules and fibrotic thickening of the glomeruli; it has an insidious onset and is characterized by cylindruria, edema, hypertrophy of the heart, degeneration of the renal tubules, and glomerulonephritis. Types include benign and malignant arteriolar nephrosclerosis.

benign nephrosclerosis (benign arteriolar nephrosclerosis) arteriolar nephrosclerosis usually seen in patients over 60 years old and associated with benign hypertension and hyaline arteriolosclerosis. In younger persons, it may occur in diabetics with a predisposition to arteriolosclerosis and in those who have hypertension resulting from an apparent underlying disease, such as pheochromocytoma.

hypertensive nephrosclerosis the most common kind of arteriolar nephrosclerosis, due to hypertension of the renal arterioles.

malignant nephrosclerosis (malignant arteriolar nephrosclerosis) an uncommon form of arteriolar nephrosclerosis affecting all the vessels of the body, especially the small arteries and arterioles of the kidneys, and frequently associated with malignant hypertension and hyperplastic arteriolosclerosis. Renal changes include arteriolar necrosis with red blood cells and casts in the urine. It may occur in the absence of previous history of hypertension, or may be superimposed on benign hypertension or primary renal disease, especially glomerulonephritis, benign nephrosclerosis, and pyelonephritis.

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malignant nephrosclerosis

Renal disease associated with 'malignant' or accelerated phase HTN, which may arise de novo, but usually occurs in a background of benign essential HTN; MN comprises 5% of HTN, and occurs in young African American ♂. See Malignant hypertension.