Which condition is inflammation of the kidney or kidneys, commonly due to infection or autoimmune disease?

• A. Nephritis
• B. Glomerulonephritis
• C. Polycystic kidney disease
• D. Renal colic

Answer: (A)

Inflammation of the kidney tissue is described as nephritis. This term broadly covers inflammation of the kidney as a whole and is commonly seen with infections or autoimmune processes that involve the kidney. A more specific form is glomerulonephritis, which targets the filtering units (glomeruli) inside the kidney and is indeed a type of nephritis often driven by immune reactions; however, the question points to inflammation of the kidney generally, so the broader term nephritis is the most fitting answer. Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disorder marked by cysts in the kidneys and isn’t primarily an inflammatory condition, while renal colic refers to pain from kidney stones rather than inflammation.