Renal tubular atrophy

What it means

The presence of renal tubules with thick redundant basement membranes, or a reduction of greater than 50% in tubular diameter compared to surrounding non-atrophic tubules.

Atrophic tubules must be distinguished from acute tubular injury as both can show extensive tubular epithelial changes. In acute tubular injury, tubules are often dilated and tubular basement membranes are smooth and maintain normal thickness, in contrast to the contracted tubules with thickened and wrinkled tubular basement membranes of tubular atrophy. Further, in acute tubular injury, tubules are usually back-to-back or mildly separated by interstitial edema, while in tubular atrophy tubules can be separated by interstitial fibrosis. Uniform thickening of tubular basement membranes without shrinkage and otherwise healthy epithelial cells can be seen in diabetic nephropathy. Duplication, or lamellation, thickening, and disruption of tubular basement membranes with tubular dilatation can be seen in medullary cystic kidney disease/nephronophthisis.

Rare diseases that can present with this4

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: Renal tubular cell atrophy · Tubular atrophy