Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026
08:51
A Modular Workflow for Quantitative, Structural and Functional Analysis of Leptospira Biofilms
Published on: December 19, 2025
The kidney in leptospirosis.
Regina C R M Abdulkader1, Marcos Vinicius Silva
1Laboratório de Fisiopatologia Renal, Hospital das Clínicas, FMUSP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. kader@usp.br
Pediatric Nephrology (Berlin, Germany)
|May 1, 2008
Summary
Leptospirosis in children primarily affects sensorium, with acute kidney injury being less common than in adults. Early antibiotics and dialysis improve outcomes for pediatric patients with this zoonotic disease.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Nephrology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Leptospirosis is a global zoonotic disease, frequently affecting young men but also impacting children.
- In pediatric cases, leptospirosis commonly presents with altered sensorium, while acute renal failure and jaundice are less frequent compared to adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the clinical presentation, pathophysiology, and management of leptospirosis in children.
- To highlight the renal manifestations and outcomes in pediatric patients with leptospirosis.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on leptospirosis in children, focusing on clinical features, renal histology, and treatment modalities.
- Analysis of factors contributing to acute renal failure and outcomes associated with treatment.
Main Results:
- Renal pathology in children includes acute interstitial nephritis and acute tubular necrosis.
- Acute renal failure in children is often non-oliguric and associated with hypokalemia.
- Antibiotic therapy, even when initiated late, can mitigate acute renal failure and thrombocytopenia in children.
Conclusions:
- Early antibiotic administration shortens hospitalization and reduces leptospiruria.
- Intensive and early dialysis may decrease mortality in severe cases.
- While functional renal recovery is typically complete, persistent abnormalities in urinary concentration can occur.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Renal Corpuscle
The glomerulus and Bowman's capsule are two essential components of the nephron, which is the functional unit of the kidney. These microscopic structures play a critical role in the process of blood filtration to produce urine.
Glomerulus: Structure and Function
The glomerulus is a tiny, intricate network of capillaries located at the beginning of the nephron. It's enveloped by the Bowman's capsule and receives its blood supply from an afferent arteriole, which divides into numerous capillaries...
Glomerulus: Structure and Function
The glomerulus is a tiny, intricate network of capillaries located at the beginning of the nephron. It's enveloped by the Bowman's capsule and receives its blood supply from an afferent arteriole, which divides into numerous capillaries...
01:10Nephrons
The kidneys are intricate organs with millions of working units known as nephrons. Each nephron features two major structures: the renal corpuscle, which facilitates blood plasma filtration, and the renal tubule, which handles the glomerular filtrate. Blood supply is directly linked to the nephrons. The renal corpuscle consists of the glomerulus, a capillary network, and the Bowman's capsule, a double-walled epithelial structure that encases the glomerulus. The filtering of blood plasma happens...
01:45Kidney Structure
The kidneys are two large bean-shaped organs located in the upper abdomen. They filter the blood several times a day to remove toxins and rebalance water and electrolytes of the circulatory system via the renal veins. The kidneys receive blood directly from the heart via the renal arteries. These arteries enter the kidney at the hilum, the concave surface of the bean, where they branch and divide into smaller vessels and capillaries.
01:30Acute Kidney Injury IV: Diagnostic Studies and Prevention
Accurate diagnosis and effective prevention are critical in managing Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), which is linked to high mortality rates ranging from 10% to 80%. Timely recognition of at-risk patients and careful monitoring can significantly reduce the likelihood of kidney damage.Diagnostic Assessments:The diagnostic process starts with a comprehensive medical history to identify prerenal, intrarenal, and postrenal causes.Prerenal causes, such as dehydration, hypotension, or blood loss, should...
01:29Acute Kidney Injury II: Pathophysiology
Acute kidney injury (AKI) causes are categorized into three primary categories based on the location of the injury: prerenal, intrarenal (or intrinsic), and postrenal causes. This classification guides clinical management and illustrates how different pathways can impair kidney function.Etiology and Pathophysiology of Acute Kidney Injury1. Prerenal causesEtiology: Prerenal Acute Kidney Injury, the most common type, occurs when reduced blood flow to the kidneys decreases filtration capacity...
01:22Acute Kidney Injury I: Introduction
Introduction:Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) describes a swift decrease in kidney function occurring over hours to days, characterized by the kidneys' failure to remove waste products from the bloodstream. This leads to dangerous complications like metabolic acidosis, fluid overload, and electrolyte imbalances, such as hyperkalemia, which can cause life-threatening arrhythmias. AKI is common in both hospital and outpatient settings, often triggered by dehydration, sepsis, or exposure to nephrotoxic...