Is hormone therapy absolutely necessary for effective treatment of glomerulonephritis?
Disease description:
For the past two months, I have experienced significant difficulty urinating, along with abdominal pain. My doctor diagnosed me with glomerulonephritis and recommended corticosteroid therapy. Is corticosteroid treatment absolutely necessary—and the only effective option—for glomerulonephritis?
Doctor's answer (2)
Dr. Yuan Xiaoying
Nephrotic syndrome is treated with corticosteroids, whereas glomerulonephritis is managed nonsteroidally. However, depending on the pathological type, glucocorticoids and cytotoxic agents are also employed in the treatment of chronic glomerulonephritis. Currently, opinions regarding glucocorticoid therapy vary. Glucocorticoid treatment for glomerulonephritis is guided by renal biopsy findings: if active lesions—particularly those associated with heavy proteinuria—are the predominant pathology, aggressive therapy with glucocorticoids and cytotoxic agents should be initiated to prevent disease progression.
