Management of urolithiasis during pregnancy

Renal calculus disease is an infrequent, but not insignificant, occurrence during pregnancy. Fortunately, the majority of symptomatic calculi that present during pregnancy pass spontaneously. However, 20 to 30 per cent of patients do require intervention for stones, posing a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Delay in treatment may jeopardize the pregnancy. Traditional methods of intervention for renal calculus disease have been supplanted by advanced, less invasive techniques; however, their application for the pregnant patient has not been addressed adequately. The varied presentation of urolithiasis during gestation and the use of newer methods of treatment in each is discussed.     

Chronic renal disease in pregnancy

The purpose of this review was to examine the impact of varying degrees of renal insufficiency on pregnancy outcome in women with chronic renal disease. Our search of the literature did not reveal any randomized clinical trials or meta-analyses. The available information is derived from opinion, reviews, retrospective series, and limited observational series. It appears that chronic renal disease in pregnancy is uncommon, occurring in 0.03-0.12% of all pregnancies from two U.S. population-based and registry studies. Maternal complications associated with chronic renal disease include preeclampsia, worsening renal function, preterm delivery, anemia, chronic hypertension, and cesarean delivery. The live birth rate in women with chronic renal disease ranges between 64% and 98% depending on the severity of renal insufficiency and presence of hypertension. Significant proteinuria may be an indicator of underlying renal insufficiency. Management of pregnant women with underlying renal disease should ideally entail a multidisciplinary approach at a tertiary center and include a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and a nephrologist. Such women should receive counseling regarding the pregnancy outcomes in association with maternal chronic renal disease and the effect of pregnancy on renal function, especially within the ensuing 5 years postpartum. These women will require frequent visits and monitoring of renal function during pregnancy. Women whose renal disease is further complicated by hypertension should be counseled regarding the increased risk of adverse outcome and need for blood pressure control. Some antihypertensives, especially angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers, should be avoided during pregnancy, if possible, because of the potential for both teratogenic (hypocalvaria) and fetal effects (renal failure, oliguria, and demise).     

Pregnancy in women with renal disease. Part II: specific underlying renal conditions

The obstetric outcome in women with kidney disease has improved in recent years due to continuous progress in obstetrics and neonatology, as well as better medical management of hypertension and renal disease. However, every pregnancy in these women remains a high-risk pregnancy. When considering the interaction between renal disease and pregnancy, maternal outcomes are related to the initial level of renal dysfunction more than to the specific underlying disease. With regards to fetal outcomes, though, a distinction may exist between renal dysfunction resulting from primary renal disease and that in which renal involvement is part of a systemic disease. In part II of this review, some specific causes of renal failure affecting pregnancy are considered.     

Sarcoidosis in pregnancy: a review with reference to kidney involvement

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous multi-system disease of unknown aetiology affecting many organs. Generally, pregnancy has no adverse effect on sarcoidosis and it seems unlikely that the disease would affect the pregnancy or the fetus. Usually, a woman with sarcoidosis should be reassured to carry on her pregnancy. However, a progression of sarcoidosis and the outcome of pregnancy mostly depends on the type and severity of the extrapulmonary lesions. Some localisations, particularly in the kidney, although less often diagnosed may be life-threatening. Thus, a patient with advanced renal involvement should be followed carefully. We report a rare case of a pregnant woman with sarcoidosis giving rise to renal insufficiency due to nephrocalcinosis. The present case shows that the impairment of renal function prior to conception is of major importance. The use of colour Doppler sonography as an additional method for evaluation of kidney function is described.     

Pregnancy in chronic renal insufficiency: single centre experience from North India

Background  Renal disease during pregnancy is relatively uncommon. The diagnosis of renal disease before or during pregnancy was only 0.03% in a population-based study of pregnant women with kidney disease. However, there is a paucity of scientific data regarding the general topic of renal disease in pregnancy on which to base clinical management and counselling recommendations. Materials and methods  A retrospective analysis of 14 year period was carried out in a referral hospital in northern India. Pregnant women were analyzed with respect to degree of renal impairment for the effect of renal disease on course of pregnancy, complications during pregnancy and perinatal outcome. Results  Outcome of 30 pregnancies (29 women) was available during the study period of 14 years. Pregnancy outcome was comparable in all types of glomerulonephritis. Progression of the disease during pregnancy was observed in total six patients. Proteinuria was in the range of 800 mg/day to 6.2 g/day (2.802 ± 1.519 g/day). Anemia was identified in 12(46.1%) and 3(7.7%) required multiple blood transfusions. Twenty-four (90%) women developed hypertension during pregnancy. Mild hypertension was seen in 40% patients and, 43.3% had severe hypertension requiring drug therapy. Obstetrical complications included a high frequency of preterm delivery (85%) and caesarean section (30%). Overall fetal survival rate was 77%. Conclusions  Most women with chronic renal disease will have a successful outcome if they receive proper prenatal care. Pregnant women with moderate or severe renal insufficiency have increased rates of complications due to worsening renal function, hypertension, and other obstetrical complications, but fetal survival is high.     

Kidney disease and pregnancy: obstetric outcome and long-term renal prognosis

In patients with chronic renal disease, all advice and decisions must take into account the balance between pregnancy outcome and the long-term impact that pregnancy might have on the disease. To help the clinician address these concerns, the authors focus on the renal changes in normal pregnancy, the problems of chronic renal disease in pregnancy, and the effect pregnancy has on long-term renal prognosis.     

Acute proliferative glomerulonephritis with crescents and renal failure in pregnancy successfully managed by intermittent haemodialysis. Case report

A 26-year-old patient with no previous history of renal disease developed acute non-streptococcal crescentile glomerulonephritis with severe renal failure in the 17th week of her second pregnancy. It became necessary to treat her with haemodialysis to maintain the blood urea around 25 mmol/l. The haemoglobin was maintained above 9 g/dl with regular blood transfusion and the blood pressure was controlled with hypotensive drugs. Measurement of fetal biparietal diameter and human placental lactogen indicated normal fetal growth and placental function. The patient spontaneously delivered a healthy infant at 32 weeks. Haemodialysis requirements decreased post partum and the patient even managed without dialysis for 12 weeks. Renal function, however, remained severely impaired and maintenance haemodilysis was again necessary at nine months post partum. Glomerulonephritis complicating pregnancy is reviewed and the management of acute and chronic renal failure in pregnancy is discussed.     

Assessment of glomerular filtration rate during pregnancy using the MDRD formula

It is now recommended practice to use estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values to screen for and monitor chronic renal disease. The most frequently used formula in the general population is that described following the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) study whereby serum creatinine is adjusted for age, gender and race. This study evaluates the performance of the MDRD formula in pregnancy by comparing eGFR with measured values obtained by inulin clearance studies in early and late normal pregnancy and in pregnancies complicated by renal disease or pre-eclampsia. Our results indicate that in all situations, MDRD substantially underestimates glomerular filtration rate during pregnancy and cannot be recommended for use in clinical practice.     

Enfermedad de Berger y gestación

IgA glomerulonephritis or Berger's disease is a kidney disease characterized by immunoglobulin A deposition in the mesangium of renal glomeruli. During pregnancy, key prognostic factors, such as blood pressure and renal function, should be monitored closely to avoid complications, both maternal and fetal. If these factors are regulated, pregnancy is entirely feasible.     

Acute Renal Insufficiency in Pregnancy: A Review of Thirty Cases

A review of women with acute changes in renal function during pregnancy including cases with only mild or moderate azotemia was performed to determine the etiology, associated disorders and frequency of this problem in an inner-city population. A retrospective review of the clinical and laboratory data of all patients admitted to the Tulane Obstetric Service at Charity Hospital of New Orleans from 1985-1989 that contained a final diagnosis of hypertension, pre-eclampsia/eclampsia or renal disease was performed to determine if acute renal insufficiency or renal failure occurred during that admission. Renal disease was defined as a serum creatinine level of greater than or equal to 1.2 mg/dl with either a rising or falling level during the hospitalization. Thirty cases of either acute renal insufficiency or renal failure during pregnancy were identified with an incidence of one in 450 deliveries. Seventeen women had either pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. Their clinical and biochemical characteristics were reviewed and found to be similar to those of the 13 women who had other causes of acute renal dysfunction complicating their pregnancies. The mean serum creatinine for all patients in this series was 3.4 mg/dl (range: 1.2-16). Four patients required dialysis, two of whom never regained function. There were no cases of cortical necrosis. Most patients still had abnormal renal function at the time of discharge. There were 21 live births and 9 fetal deaths. Fetal death was more likely to occur with shorter gestation, higher serum creatinine, and lower platelet count. Even in cases with mild acute renal insufficiency complicating pregnancy, there was significant maternal morbidity and fetal mortality. Pre-eclampsia/eclampsia was the most common disorder associated with this problem in pregnancy. In an inner-city population, acute renal insufficiency and renal failure in pregnancy occur more frequently than previously reported; recognition of this problem is necessary to provide appropriate follow-up.     

Prenatal diagnosis of multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency: association with elevated alpha-fetoprotein and cystic renal changes.

We report the occurrence of multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD) in two consecutive pregnancies in a young, Caucasian, non-consanguineous couple. In the first pregnancy, the maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein was elevated. A sonogram showed growth delay, cystic renal disease, and oligohydramnios; the parents decided to terminate the pregnancy. Postmortem examination confirmed the cystic renal disease and showed hepatic steatosis, raising the suspicion of a metabolic disorder. The diagnosis of MADD was made by immunoblot studies on cultured fibroblasts. In the subsequent pregnancy, a sonogram at 15 weeks' gestation showed an early growth delay but normal kidneys. The maternal serum and amniotic fluid concentrations of alpha-fetoprotein were elevated, and the amniotic fluid acylcarnitine profile was consistent with MADD. In vitro metabolic studies on cultured amniocytes confirmed the diagnosis. A follow-up sonogram showed cystic renal changes. These cases provide additional information regarding the evolution of renal changes in affected fetuses and show a relationship with elevated alpha-fetoprotein, which may be useful in counseling the couple at risk. MADD should be considered in the differential diagnosis of elevated alpha-fetoprotein and cystic renal disease. Early growth delay may be an additional feature.     

妊娠合并肾脏疾病28例的产科处理

目的探讨妊娠合并肾脏疾病的产科处理。方法对妊娠合并肾脏疾病28例病例的产科处理做回顾性分析。结果28例妊娠合并肾脏疾病中合并肾炎的发病率最高(20/28),妊娠并发症中妊娠期高血压疾病发生率最高(10/28)。24例肾功能代偿期孕妇均定期接受产科检查,除1例孕13周时行人工流产术外,其余23例均足月正常分娩,母儿预后良好;3例合并妊娠期高血压疾病子痫前期(重度)、肾功能不全(氮质血症期),除1例早产外,另2例剖宫产终止妊娠,母儿预后良好;另有1例孕期未进行产前检查,孕24周合并妊娠期高血压疾病子痫前期(重度),胎儿宫内发育迟缓,肾功能不全(尿毒症期),以剖宫产终止妊娠,胎儿死亡。结论妊娠结局与妊娠合并肾脏疾病中肾功能的分期和有无妊娠并发症密切相关;孕期检查和适时、适当的产科处理对于围生儿、孕妇的预后至关重要。     

Primary hyperparathyroidism during the third trimester of pregnancy.

Primary hyperparathyroidism during pregnancy has been reported in 36 women; 1 new case is reported here. Screening by determining serum calcium levels is a valuable method of diagnosing the disease. Radioimmunoassay of serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) greatly aids in the diagnosis. Amniotic fluid PTH values are discussed. Hyperparathyroidism has a high association with progressive renal insufficiency, renal calculi, hypertension, and bone disease. During pregnancy, there is an increased incidence of stillborns, premature labor, and neonatal tetany. Acute hyperparathyroid crisis may result in maternal death. This is the first reported case surgically treated during the third trimester of pregnancy. Surgery should be considered when the diagnosis is made late in pregnancy, as this may protect the infant from neonatal tetany.     

Renal Histology and Pregnancy Performance in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Previous reports indicate that maternal and fetal outcome in pregnancies complicated by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may be strongly influenced by the presence of renal disease. As the relationship between renal histology and clinical function in SLE is not consistent, prospective data on the outcones of such pregnancies would aid patient counselling. Fifteen women with SLE had 18 pregnancies subsequent to renal biopsies, performed from 3 months to 8 years prior to conception. Their renal function was evaluated before, during and after pregnancy. Fourteen of 15 patients had evidence of renal involvement, based on by light and electron microscopic sections: 7 had mesangial involvement (WHO Class II); 5 had active focal or diffues glomerulonephritis (Classes III and IV); two had membranous involvement (Class V); 1, no evident disease. Perinatal outcome was similar whether lesions were milder (8 continuing pregnancies, 4 term deliveries) or more severe (6 continuing pregnancies, 3 term deliveries). Clinical renal function was normal in all but 3 cases at the beginning of pregnancy; 2 additional patients experienced moderate deteriorations in renal function during pregnancy but recovered normal function in the puerperium. Fetal outcome was abnormal (3 premature deliveries, 1 neonatal death, 1 spontaneous abortion) in all cases where renal function was decreased, while 10 of 13 pregnancies in patients with normal renal function ended in term deliveries. The data suggest that currently preconceptual rena histology provides a less accurate basis for perinatal counselling than does the assessment of clinica renal function.     

Glomerular endotheliosis in normal pregnancy and pre-eclampsia

Objective To investigate the proportion of women with findings characteristic for pre-eclampsia, as opposed to renal disease, in a controlled study of hypertensive pregnant women undergoing antepartum renal biopsy.
Design An observational prospective controlled study.
Setting University Hospital of Lund, Sweden.
Sample Thirty-six previously healthy women with hypertensive disease in pregnancy, consecutively admitted to the antenatal ward at onset of disease during a 20 month period and giving informed consent, as well as 12 voluntary healthy pregnant controls.
Methods Renal biopsy samples were obtained from all participants and evaluated by light microscopy, electron microscopy and immunofluorescence techniques.
Main outcome measures Presence and degree of glomerular endotheliosis.
Results Glomerular endotheliosis was present in all women with pre-eclampsia and gestational hypertension, and in 5 of the 12 controls, although significant differences in the degree of endotheliosis were found between the groups. Clinically undetected renal disease was not diagnosed in any of the women.
Conclusion Glomerular endotheliosis was found in women with normal pregnancy as well as in both non-proteinuric and proteinuric hypertension and is consequently not, as earlier believed, pathognomonic for pre-eclampsia. The transition between normal term pregnancy, gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia appears to be a continuous process, perhaps of increasing adaptation to pregnancy. Pre-eclampsia may be the extreme of the adaptational process, rather than a separate abnormal condition. Clinically undetected renal disease could be a rare cause of hypertension in pregnancy.     

Pregnancy in women with renal disease. Part I: general principles

The purpose of this review is to improve the basis upon which advice on pregnancy is given to women with renal disease and to address issues of obstetric management by drawing upon the accumulated world experience. To ensure the proper rapport between the respect for patient's autonomy and the ethical principle of beneficence, the review attempts to impart up-to-date, evidence-based information on the predictable outcomes and hazards of pregnancy in women with chronic renal disease. The physiology of pregnancy from the perspective of the affected kidney will be discussed as well as the principal predictors of maternal and fetal outcomes and general recommendations of management. The available evidence supports the implication that the degree of renal function impairment is the major determinant for pregnancy outcome. In addition, the presence of hypertension further compounds the risks. On the contrary, the degree of proteinuria does not demonstrate a linear correlation with obstetric outcomes. Management and outcome of pregnancies occurring in women on dialysis and after renal transplant are also discussed. Although the outcome of pregnancies under chronic dialysis has markedly improved in the past decade, the chances of achieving a viable pregnancy are much higher after transplantation. But even in renal transplant recipients, the rate of maternal and fetal complications remains high, in addition to concerns regarding possible adverse effects of immunosuppressive drugs on the developing embryo and fetus.     

妊娠合并慢性肾病与不良妊娠结局

育龄期女性约3%合并慢性肾脏疾病,这些患者不良妊娠结局风险明显高于健康人群。基础肾脏功能、是否合并系统性疾病、慢性高血压以及蛋白尿均对妊娠结局有重要的影响。文章阐述合并慢性肾病患者不良妊娠结局发生情况,并简要介绍改善此类患者妊娠结局的措施。     

Diabetic nephropathy: pregnancy performance and fetomaternal outcome

A study of 31 continuing pregnancies complicated by diabetic nephropathy was conducted to determine the effects of diabetes-associated renal disease on maternal health and fetal outcome. Throughout pregnancy there was a significant increase in maternal blood pressure (p less than 0.001) and proteinuria (p less than 0.0001), with nephrotic syndrome (greater than 3.0 gm protein/day) developing in 71% of pregnancies. After birth, however, proteinuria reverted to levels not significantly different from values in early pregnancy. There was no apparent adverse effect of pregnancy on the natural course of the underlying renal disease. Stillbirths occurred in two patients (6%), and the remaining 29 pregnancies resulted in live-births at a mean gestational age of 36 weeks. Seventy percent of these infants were appropriate for gestational age, whereas 16% were small and 13% were large for gestational age. Birth weight was best correlated with gestational age and creatinine clearance (p less than 0.0001). Neonatal complications included respiratory distress syndrome (19%), hyperbilirubinemia (26), and congenital malformations (10%). The uncorrected perinatal survival rate was 94%. These data suggest that with contemporary methods of maternal evaluation and treatment, fetal surveillance, and neonatal care, the risks to patients with diabetic nephropathy during pregnancy are not excessive. The likelihood of a successful fetal and neonatal outcome is comparable to that in other patients with insulin-dependent diabetes.     

Minimal change disease in pregnancy

Abstract

Background: New onset minimal change disease (MCD) is rare in pregnancy with the potential for serious complications including acute kidney injury (AKI).

Case: A case of MCD was diagnosed at 19 weeks gestation by renal biopsy. Within one month of starting steroids, the patient experienced normalization of renal function and resolution of nephrotic syndrome, although hemodialysis was needed as a temporizing measure.

Conclusion: The differential diagnosis for new onset proteinuria in pregnancy should include MCD. In selected cases, renal biopsy can be used to confirm diagnosis, and when indicated, hemodialysis should be instituted while awaiting a response to steroid therapy.     

Chronic renal disease and pregnancy outcome

During the 18-year period from 1971 through 1988, 37 women whose pregnancies were complicated by moderate or severe renal insufficiency were managed at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Common maternal complications included anemia, chronic hypertension, and preeclampsia. Perinatal complications included midpregnancy losses and low birth weight from preterm delivery, fetal growth retardation, or both. Despite the high incidence of maternal morbidity, 85% of pregnancies in the 26 women with moderate renal insufficiency resulted in a live-born infant; there was one stillbirth and no neonatal deaths. Of the 11 women with severe disease, seven were delivered of live-born infants after greater than or equal to 26 weeks' gestation. Although six of these 37 women had worsening renal function during pregnancy, it seems unlikely that pregnancy per se caused this. More importantly, in four of these six women and in four others who had stable function throughout pregnancy, end-stage renal disease developed within a mean of 4 years after delivery. In 14 women blood volume was determined during pregnancy, and whereas those with moderate disease had normal volume expansion, women with severe disease had significantly attenuated expansion. Finally, serial creatinine clearances did not increase during pregnancy in half the women with moderate insufficiency and none with severe dysfunction.