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Chronic paranephritis
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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Chronic paranephritis (from the Greek raga - near, past, outside and nephritis, from nephrds - kidney) is a chronic inflammation of the perirenal fatty tissue.
Causes chronic paranephritis
Chronic paranephritis is caused by a long-term inflammatory process in the perirenal tissue, occurs as a complication of chronic calculous pyelonephritis, occurring with frequent exacerbations, or is the outcome of acute. In some cases, chronic paranephritis occurs after surgical interventions on the kidney. The process occurs as a productive inflammation with the replacement of perirenal tissue with connective or fibrous-lipomatous tissue. As a result of the development of retroperitoneal fibrosis, the patient often develops hydronephrotic transformation, chronic renal failure, nephrogenic arterial hypertension.
Symptoms chronic paranephritis
Symptoms of chronic paranephritis are usually more vague; specific symptoms of this pathological condition are absent.
The patient often experiences dull pain in the lumbar region on the affected side, tenderness upon palpation, and subfebrile body temperature.
Where does it hurt?
Diagnostics chronic paranephritis
When diagnosing chronic paranephritis, the same methods are used as for acute paranephritis, but it is much more difficult to detect.
Diagnosis of chronic paranephritis is based on anamnesis data, objective and instrumental examination.
X-ray and ultrasound examination reveal the absence of kidney contours, as well as contours of the lumbar muscle on the affected side, and reveal diffuse, moderate darkening in this area.
What do need to examine?
What tests are needed?
Differential diagnosis
Chronic paranephritis is differentiated from hydronephrosis, pyonephrosis, and renal tuberculosis.
Treatment chronic paranephritis
Treatment of chronic paranephritis, depending on the nature of the disease, can be conservative and surgical (in most cases). Conservative treatment is carried out in the absence of complications (nephrogenic arterial hypertension), it consists of anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-sclerotic therapy. Diathermy, mud applications and hot baths are prescribed, as well as general tonics, electrophoresis with hyaluronidase, aloe.
Surgical treatment of chronic paranephritis includes excision of the altered paranephric tissue, drainage of the retroperitoneal region. In the postoperative period, the administration of antibacterial drugs (preferably cephalosporins or fluoroquinolones) with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity is indicated.
Forecast
Chronic paranephritis has a favorable prognosis if the diagnosis is established in a timely manner and adequate treatment is provided.