Hydronephrosis of the left kidney is a disease that occurs when there is a violation of the outflow of urine and is characterized by an expansion of the
pyelocaliceal system. Acute pain in the abdomen with a return to the back are the first signs of hydronephrosis of the left kidney. The disease is divided into primary or congenital. The primary cause is urinary tract dyskinesia, abnormal location of the renal artery, congenital valve abnormalities, as well as bacterial and viral infections, side effects of pharmaceuticals. The cause of secondary or acquired nephrosis are urological diseases, pelvic tumors, injuries of the urinary tract and spinal cord. Increased intrapulmonary pressure increases the contents of the calyx and changes their configuration. Atrophy of the smooth muscle, nerve endings occurs.
Hydronephrosis of the left kidney is characterized by the formation of coarse fibrous connective tissue. There are two types of disease - open (there is an intact part of the parenchyma) and closed (in the pelvis-ureteric zone, obstruction of the ureters is observed). The disease goes through three stages: the first - the expansion is only in the pelvis, the second - the cups expand, the thickness of the parenchyma decreases, the third - atrophy of the kidney parenchyma.
Hydronephrosis of the left kidney: clinical signs
Patients complain of a feeling of heaviness, bursting, aching pain on the left side, nervous excitement and anxiety are observed, the amount of urine decreases. Sometimes impurities of mucus and blood in urine are detected. As a result of pathological changes, the kidneys begin to work poorly, a huge amount of toxic metabolic products accumulate in the body. In the end, it can be fatal.
Diagnosis of hydronephrosis
They diagnose hydronephrosis of the left kidney by instrumental, ultrasound and radiography. Intravenous urography also diagnoses various stages of the disease: from the expansion of the pelvis in the kidney to the loss of function and hydronephrosis.
Hydronephrosis during pregnancy is accompanied by pain in the lower back, there is a dull pulling pain in the thigh and groin. When examining urine, micro- and macrohematuria are found, with complication of hydronephrosis there is pyuria and bacteriuria. The X-ray diagnostic method for pregnancy is contraindicated, therefore an ultrasound scan is performed. With aseptic unilateral hydronephrosis, the prognosis is favorable, since a healthy kidney compensates for the patient's function. If hydronephrosis appeared during pregnancy, it is not an indication for its termination. Pregnancy is terminated with bilateral hydronephrosis, which developed even before pregnancy. Also, pregnancy is terminated with a diagnosis of unilateral hydronephrosis, which is accompanied by azotemia and pyelonephritis.
How to treat hydronephrosis?
With a mild form of the disease, conservative treatment is performed, the tone of the urinary tract is increased. They also prevent constipation (diets, laxatives). With infected hydronephrosis, antibiotic therapy is prescribed, urine culture is monitored . In the later stages of the disease, surgery is indispensable. During surgery, the main thing is to eliminate the obstruction of the urinary tract to prevent changes in the kidney tissue.