ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Hydronephrosis

What is hydronephrosis?

4 May 2021

It is kidneys inflammation due to the accumulation of urine, as a consequence of various conditions, among which the following stand out:

  • Ureters obstructed by scar tissue caused by infectious processes, surgical procedures, or radiotherapy.
  • Enlargement of the uterus during pregnancy causing blockages.
  • Congenital kidney or urinary tract anomalies.
  • Vesicoureteral reflux (urine backflow into the kidneys) due to prostatitis, urethral narrowing, or congenital defect.
  • Kidney stones.
  • Some types of cancer in various parts of the urinary system.
  • Bladder nerve involvement.

This condition affects people of any age and can appear suddenly or develop progressively. If not treated promptly, it can seriously damage kidney function to the point of failure. There are two types of hydronephrosis:

  • Unilateral: when only one kidney is affected.
  • Bilateral: both kidneys are involved.

Signs and symptoms Hydronephrosis

  • Pain in the lower back and flank radiating to the groin and belly.
  • Urinary infections.
  • Painful urination.
  • Increased urination frequency.
  • Urge to urinate.
  • Nausea.
  • Vomit.
  • High fever.

Diagnosis and treatment Hydronephrosis

Once your doctor analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, they will perform a physical examination and if they suspect that you have hydronephrosis, you will be referred to a urologist to obtain a more accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

The urinary system specialist will request some of the following tests:

  • Blood test to measure kidney function.
  • Urine test to identify if some infections or stones cause hydronephrosis.
  • Kidney and urinary tract ultrasound.
  • Contrast radiography of the urinary system.
  • Computed tomography.
  • MRI.

The indicated treatment will be established based on the direct cause of hydronephrosis and the severity of the case:

  • Mild: treatment is not usually prescribed; the evolution is monitored hoping that the symptoms disappear by themselves.
  • Moderate: antibiotics are usually prescribed to prevent any infectious outbreak that complicates the condition.
  • Serious: renal physiology is severely affected, requiring surgery to remove the obstruction and/or repair damaged structures.

At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.

Related centers and departments Hydronephrosis

Internal medicine
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

  • medlineplus.gov
  • mayoclinic.org
  • msdmanuals.com
  • hopkinsmedicine.org
  • topdoctors.es
  • medigraphic.com
  • Núñez CAC, Frómeta MCI. Caracterización clínica epidemiológica de los defectos congénitos del tracto genitourinario. Rev Cubana Med Gen Integr. 2020;36(3):1-8.
  • Rosales-Velázquez CE, Ruvalcaba-Oceguera GE, Zepeda-Aguilar A. Uréter retrocavo: reporte de un caso y revisión de la bibliografía. Rev Mex Urol. 2020;80(3):1-10.
  • Caravia PI, Sánchez GME, Reyes ARP. Nefrostomía combinada en las obstrucciones del tracto urinario superior. RCU. 2019;8(1):41-44.
  • Bustamante SN, Bustamante SN, Namugenyi A, et al. Complicaciones de la esquistosomiasis urinaria crónica. RCU. 2020;9(1):2-12.

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