What is NOT a kidney disease?

Analyze the question: We need the option that is NOT a disease of the kidney. Read each option carefully.

Explain the concept: Kidney (renal) disorders affect the kidneys' structure or function. Cirrhosis, by contrast, is a liver disease.

Go through the options:

• A. Cirrhosis: This is scarring of the liver, often caused by chronic alcohol abuse or hepatitis. It is a liver disease, not a kidney disease.
• B. Kidney stones: Hard mineral deposits (calcium oxalate, etc.) form in the kidney. This is a kidney disease.
• C. Nephritis: Inflammation of the nephrons or kidney (the prefix nephr- means kidney). This is a kidney disease.
• D. Uraemia: A build-up of urea and other nitrogenous wastes in the blood because the kidneys fail to filter properly. It is a condition resulting from kidney failure, so it is usually classed as a kidney disorder.
• E. Wilm's tumour: A cancer of the kidney that mainly affects children. This is a kidney disease.

Answer: The only option that is not related to the kidney is A. Cirrhosis, which affects the liver.

Exam tip: Learn the word roots. Nephr- and renal mean kidney, hepat- means liver, and -itis means inflammation. Cirrhosis, hepatitis and jaundice go with the liver, while nephritis, uraemia and kidney stones go with the kidney. Linking each disease to its organ makes "NOT" questions quick to answer.