Hematuria, Benign, Familial

Synonyms

• Hematuria, Benign, Recurrent
• Hematuria, Essential
• Nephropathy, Thin-Basement-Membrane
• Nephropathy, Thin Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease

Disorder Subdivisions

• None

General Discussion

Benign familial hematuria, also known as thin-basement-membrane nephropathy, is a kidney disease that usually begins during childhood. The disorder is characterized by the presence of red blood cells in the urine (hematuria). The blood in the urine may be present in microscopic amounts (microscopic hematuria) and not visible to the eye, present in small amounts that give the urine a "cloudy" or "smoky" appearance, or easily visible. Many individuals with the disorder have abnormalities of the kidney’s glomeruli, the clusters of small blood vessels (capillaries) that normally filter the blood passing through the kidneys (glomeruli filtration). In such cases, the membrane (basement membrane) supporting the loops of capillaries that make up the renal glomeruli may be abnormally thin. Benign familial hematuria may be inherited as an autosomal dominant genetic trait.

Resources

March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
1275 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10605
Tel: (914)428-7100
Fax: (914)997-4763
Tel: (888)663-4637
Email: Askus@marchofdimes.com
Internet: http://www.marchofdimes.com

American Kidney Fund, Inc.
6110 Executive Boulevard
Suite 1010
Rockville, MD 20852
USA
Tel: 3018813052
Fax: 3018810898
Tel: 8006388299
Email: helpline@kindeyfund.org
Internet: http://www.kidneyfund.org

National Kidney Foundation
30 East 33rd Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212)889-2210
Fax: (212)689-9261
Tel: (800)622-9010
Email: info@kidney.org
Internet: http://www.kidney.org

American Urological Association Foundation
1000 Corporate Blvd.
Linthicum, MD 21090
USA
Tel: 4106893700
Fax: 4106893800
Tel: 8667464282
Email: auafoundation@auafoundation.org
Internet: http://www.auafoundation.org

NIH/National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
3 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3580
Tel: (800)891-5390
Email: nkudic@info.niddk.nih.gov
Internet: http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/

For a Complete Report

This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ® (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html

The information provided in this report is not intended for diagnostic purposes. It is provided for informational purposes only. NORD recommends that affected individuals seek the advice or counsel of their own personal physicians.

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This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder.

For additional information and assistance about rare disorders, please contact the National Organization for Rare Disorders at P.O. Box 1968, Danbury, CT 06813-1968; phone (203) 744-0100; web site www.rarediseases.org or email orphan@rarediseases.org

Last Updated: 4/4/2005
Copyright 1989, 1995, 1997, 2005 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.