Almost every adult knows what pyelonephritis (inflammation of the kidneys) is. But few people know that one of the causes of this disease is renal pyeloectasia. Renal pyelectasia is the path to pyelonephritis.
This term is used in relation to those pathologies when the renal pelvis is expanded (a place to collect urine before sending through the ureter to the bladder). According to the vastness of pathological changes, the lesion can be bilateral (by the number of kidneys) or one-sided, when there is a pyeloectasia of the left kidney or pyeloectasia on the right.
Forms of pyeloectasia and the causes of its occurrence
According to the severity of the course of the disease, its various forms are distinguished: mild, moderate and severe. Depending on this, the renal calyces and the ureter can be affected in parallel with the pelvis. This happens quite often with the progression of this disease.
Kidney pyelectasis occurs when urine stagnates in the pelvis (poor outflow) or when it is thrown back into the kidney (counterflow from the bladder). The causes of such pathological processes are divided into various groups:
- Congenital dynamic: phimosis, neurogenic disorders of the urethra, narrowing and tightness of various parts of the urethra.
- Congenital organic: abnormalities in the development of the ureter, kidneys, walls of the upper urinary tract.
- Acquired dynamic: diseases leading to a significant increase in urine, hormonal changes, inflammation of the kidneys, infectious processes, narrowing of the acquired urethra, adenoma and other tumors of the prostate and urethra.
- Acquired organic: urolithiasis, tumors in different parts of the urinary system and neighboring organs, prolapse of the kidneys, inflammation of the ureter and its narrowing of a traumatic or inflammatory nature.
Symptoms and Complications
Pyeloectasia of the kidneys itself practically does not give any symptoms. There are only signs of the underlying disease, which was the cause of the expansion of the pelvis, or already the consequences.
Complications with stagnation of urine in the kidneys can be as follows:
- Pyelonephritis (inflammation of the kidneys).
- Atrophy of the kidney tissue.
- Functional renal failure.
- Necrosis of the urinary tissue (kidney sclerosis).
Diagnosis of pyeloectasia
Renal pyelectasia in most cases is detected in the fetus during a woman’s pregnancy or during the first year of a child’s life during an ultrasound scan. In girls, this kidney damage is much less common than in boys. The main number of cases of expansion of the pelvis in children of congenital origin. Sometimes this pathology occurs during intensive growth of the body.
In adult patients, the occurrence of this ailment is mainly due to the canal blocking the ureter. Therefore, with urolithiasis or other predisposing factors for the occurrence of pyeloectasia, it is necessary to periodically do an ultrasound of the kidneys in order to avoid serious complications.
When conducting an ultrasound examination, pay attention to the static volume of the pelvis before and after urination, their significant size (7mm or more) or its change over the past year.
In connection with the progression of the disease, additional methods for its detection are used to determine the cause: urography (intravenous administration of a contrast medium) and cystography (administration of a contrast medium through a catheter into the bladder).
Treatment and prevention
Based on the research, a specialist doctor determines the treatment tactics. The main step in the treatment of renal pyeloectasia is to eliminate the cause of this disease. Many congenital malformations are surgically corrected. To eliminate stones, if possible, use the conservative method, or, if necessary, surgical intervention. Much attention is paid to the prevention of inflammatory processes before and after treatment.
In order to avoid the formation of this kidney pathology, the following measures exist: timely and complete treatment of diseases of the genitourinary system, limiting fluid intake as necessary, following the recommendations and strict instructions during pregnancy.