[Therapy of inflammatory kidney diseases. More than steroids?].

The term "inflammatory kidney diseases" characterizes primarily immunopathogenetically driven diseases, affecting both kidneys. Bacterial infections, or primarily interstitial nephritis, shall not be considered in this overview. Classification and terminology of inflammatory kidney diseases follow morphological criteria, acuteness of the clinical course, and concomitant organ affection. The clinical course and pathology of inflammatory kidney diseases have been reviewed extensively in this journal in 1997 and 2002.