Protocolo diagnóstico de la afectación renal en las vasculitis

Abstract

Systemic vasculitides constitute a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by inflammation of the blood vessels, which can significantly affect the kidney. This protocol presents an updated diagnosis of renal involvement in vasculitides, focusing on early identification and accurate characterization of kidney damage. Clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, and imaging techniques are systematically reviewed, with special emphasis on the usefulness of renal biopsy. The main conditions that entail renal involvement are analyzed in detail: ANCA-associated vasculitides, IgA vasculitis, anti-GBM vasculitis, cryoglobulinemic vasculitides, and polyarteritis nodosa. The distinctive features, histologic patterns, and prognostic considerations of each condition are described. The importance of an early, accurate diagnosis is emphasized, since renal involvement is a determining prognostic factor in the progression of these diseases. This protocol provides practical guidelines for the diagnostic approach to renal involvement in vasculitides, facilitating clinical decision making and optimization of therapeutic management.