Hydronephrosis Overview
Learn About Hydronephrosis
Hydronephrosis is swelling of one kidney due to a backup of urine. This problem may occur in one kidney.
Hydronephrosis; Chronic hydronephrosis; Acute hydronephrosis; Urinary obstruction; Unilateral hydronephrosis; Nephrolithiasis - hydronephrosis; Kidney stone - hydronephrosis; Renal calculi - hydronephrosis; Ureteral calculi - hydronephrosis; Vesicoureteral reflux - hydronephrosis; Obstructive uropathy - hydronephrosis
Hydronephrosis (kidney swelling) occurs as the result of a disease. It is not a disease itself. Conditions that may lead to hydronephrosis include:
- Blockage of a ureter due to scarring caused by prior infections, surgeries, or radiation treatments
- Blockage from an enlarged uterus during pregnancy
- Birth defects of the urinary system
- Back flow of urine from bladder to kidney, called vesicoureteral reflux (may occur as a birth defect or due to an enlarged prostate or narrowing of the urethra)
- Kidney stones
- Cancers or tumors that occur in the ureter, bladder, pelvis or abdomen
- Problems with the nerves that supply the bladder
The blockage and swelling of the kidney may occur suddenly or may develop slowly.
Common symptoms include:
- Flank pain
- Abdominal mass, especially in children
- Nausea and vomiting
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Fever
- Painful urination (dysuria)
- Increased urinary frequency
- Increased urinary urgency
In some cases, there may be no symptoms.
Treatment depends on the cause of the kidney swelling. Treatment may include:
- Placing a stent (tube) through the bladder and ureter to allow urine to flow from the kidney into the bladder
- Placing a tube into the kidney through the skin to allow the blocked urine to drain out of the body into a drainage bag
- Antibiotics for infections
- Surgery to correct the blockage or reflux
- Removal of any stone that is causing blockage
People who have only one kidney, who have a weakened immune system (such as due to diabetes or HIV), or who have had a kidney transplant will need treatment right away.
People who have long-term hydronephrosis may need antibiotics to reduce the risk of UTI.
Western Nephrology And Metabolic Bone Disease, P.C.
George Kim is a Nephrologist in Longmont, Colorado. Dr. Kim and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hydronephrosis. His top areas of expertise are Chronic Kidney Disease, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), Acute Kidney Failure, and Low Sodium Level.
Poudre Valley Medical Group LLC
Benjamin Girdler is an Urologist in Fort Collins, Colorado. Dr. Girdler and is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hydronephrosis. His top areas of expertise are Urinary Incontinence, Bilateral Hydronephrosis, Hydronephrosis, Obstructive Uropathy, and Ureteroscopy. Dr. Girdler is currently accepting new patients.
Poudre Valley Medical Group LLC
Michael Lee is an Urologist in Fort Collins, Colorado. Dr. Lee and is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hydronephrosis. His top areas of expertise are Prostate Cancer, Familial Prostate Cancer, Obstructive Uropathy, Reconstructive Urology Surgery, and Nephrectomy. Dr. Lee is currently accepting new patients.
Loss of kidney function, UTI, and pain may occur if the condition is left untreated.
If hydronephrosis is not treated, the affected kidney may be permanently damaged. Kidney failure is rare if the other kidney is working normally. However, kidney failure will occur if there is only one functioning kidney. UTI and pain may also occur.
Contact your health care provider if you have ongoing or severe flank pain, or fever, or if you think you may have hydronephrosis.
Prevention of the disorders that cause this condition will prevent it from occurring.
Summary: This proposal is for an one-year project. In this project, we aim to investigate the feasibility of using AI for sonographic image interpretation. The main project is responsible for coordination between the two sub-projects and the main project, providing image resources, and using U-Net (Convolutional Networks for Biomedical Image Segmentation) and Transfer Learning to build up the models for im...
Summary: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus radical cystectomy is the standard if care for cisplatin-eligible patients with MIBC. Developments in the last two decades suggest that bladder sparing therapy may be a valuable alternative to radical cystectomy. Currently, well-documented TMT regimens, which include complete transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT), chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, demons...
Published Date: March 31, 2024
Published By: Sovrin M. Shah, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Frøkiaer J. Urinary tract obstruction. In: Yu ASL, Chertow GM, Luyckx VA, Marsden PA, Skorecki K, Taal MW, eds. Brenner and Rector's The Kidney. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 37.
Gallagher KM, Hughes J. Urinary tract obstruction. In: Johnson RJ, Floege J, Tonelli M, eds. Comprehensive Clinical Nephrology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 61.