Symptoms:

This condition causes high blood pressure (hypertension) and chronic kidney failure.

Specific symptoms include:

• Blood in the urine (dark, rust-colored, or brown urine)
• Foamy urine

Chronic kidney failure symptoms that gradually develop may include the following:

• Decreased alertness
  • Drowsiness, somnolence, lethargy
  • Confusion, delirium
  • Coma
• Decreased sensation in the hands, feet, or other areas
• Decreased urine output
• Easy bruising or bleeding
• Fatigue
• Frequent hiccups
• General ill feeling (malaise)
• Generalized itching
• Headache
• Increased skin pigmentation -- skin may appear yellow or brown
• Muscle cramps
• Muscle twitching
• Nausea and vomiting
• Need to urinate at night
• Seizures
• Unintentional weight loss

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

• Blood in the vomit or stools
• Excessive urination
• High blood pressure
• Nosebleed

Signs and tests:

Because symptoms develop gradually, the disorder may be discovered when there is an abnormal urinalysis during a routine physical or during an examination for another, unrelated disorder. It may be discovered as a cause of high blood pressure that is difficult to control.

Laboratory tests may reveal anemia or show signs of reduced kidney functioning, including azotemia. Later, signs of chronic kidney failure may be apparent, including edema .

Tests that may be done include:

• Chest x-ray
• Kidney or abdominal CT scan
• Kidney or abdominal ultrasound
• IVP
• Urinalysis

A kidney biopsy may show one of the forms of chronic glomerulonephritis or scarring of the glomeruli.

This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:

• Albumin
• Abdominal MRI
• Anti-glomerular basement membrane
• BUN
• Complement component 3
• Complement
• Creatinine clearance
• Renal scan
• Total protein
• Uric acid, urine
• Urine concentration test
• Urine creatinine
• Urine RBC
• Urine specific gravity
• Urine protein