Histopathological and electron microscopy aspects in kidney diseases of small animals

Abstract

Kidney diseases are one of the most common pathologies found in geriatric cats and dogs, estimated to be 0.5- 1.0% in dogs and 1.0-3.0% in cats, these values increasing with age, especially in cats with a reported prevalence of 80% in the geriatric cat population. The aim of this study was to provide an overview concerning the most frequent kidney lesions encountered at the histological and and electron microscopy examination. The most common lesions recorded in dogs were: membranoproliferative glomerulitis and glomerulosclerosis (24%), lymphohistiocytic nephritis (12%), tubulointerstitial nephritis, characterized by epithelial degeneration of the urinary tubes (14%) and the presence of hyaline cylinders (14%) as a mark of proteinuria. In cats, the most common lesions observed were: glomerulitis (25%), tubulonephritis (18%), the presence of hyaline and fatty cylinders (14%), and calcium oxalate or urate crystals (14%).