Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis

What it means

Segmental accumulation of scar tissue in individual (but not all) glomeruli.

Glomerular changes can be focal (only in some glomeruli) or diffuse (in all or almost all the glomeruli), and segmental (only a part of the glomerulus) or global (the entire glomerulus). FSGS is characterized by focal and segmental occurrence of lesions with mesangial sclerosis, obliteration of glomerular capillaries with hyalinosis and intracapillary foam cells, formation of adhesions between the glomerular tuft and Bowman's capsule, and podocyte hypertrophy. FSGS is not a disease entity, but rather a pattern of injury with quite diverse clinical behavior, morphology, and possibly also pathogenesis.

Rare diseases that can present with this10

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Focal and segmental glomerular sclerosis · Focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis · focal glomerulosclerosis