Chronic Interstitial Nephritis

Abstract

Chronic interstitial nephritis represents a large and diverse group of disorders characterized primarily by interstitial fibrosis with mononuclear leukocyte infiltration and tubular atrophy (1–3). The chronic damage is unrelated to underlying glomerular or vascular processes. Among the many causes of chronic interstitial nephritis are high-grade vesicoureteral reflux, urinary obstruction, chronic bacterial infections, Sjögren’s syndrome, drugs (lithium, Chinese herbs), radiation, and Balkan nephropathy (3). Although the pathologic aspects by light microscopy have the abovementioned features in common, historical information, imaging data, familial history, and gross pathology features may help to distinguish one disease from another. Because it was once widely considered that most chronic interstitial nephritis represented chronic infection, the term chronic pyelonephritis was commonly used for this group of disorders (1,2). However, chronic pyelonephritis is a rare entity (4).