Renal Manifestations of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract

Renal and urinary involvement has been reported to occur in 4% to 23% of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Parenchymal renal disease is rare and most commonly affects glomerular and tubulointerstitial compartments. The most common findings on renal biopsy of IBD patients are IgA nephropathy and tubulointerstitial nephritis. Overall morbidity of IBD-related renal manifestations is significant, and there is often only a short window of injury reversibility. This, along with subtle clinical presentation, requires a high index of suspicion and routine monitoring of renal function. There are no established guidelines for the optimal screening and monitoring of renal function in IBD patients.

Keywords: Aminosalicylates; Crohn disease; Glomerulonephritis; Inflammatory bowel disease; Kidney disease; Renal biopsy; Tubulointerstitial nephritis; Ulcerative colitis.