Bilateral hydronephrosis

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Female urinary tract

Bilateral hydronephrosis

Definition:

Bilateral hydronephrosis is the distention of the pelvis and calyces of both kidneys. (See also unilateral hydronephrosis.)

Alternative Names:
Hydronephrosis - bilateral
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

text continues below

Bilateral hydronephrosis develops when the pelvis and calyces (the urine-collecting structures of the kidneys) of both kidneys become distended because urine is unable to drain from the kidney down the ureters into the bladder. (Bilateral means both sides.)

Hydronephrosis is not itself adisease, but rather a physical result of whateverdisease iskeeping urine from draining out of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder. The symptoms, treatment, and expected outcome are those of theresponsible disease.

Disorders associated with hydronephrosis include:

Advances in fetal ultrasound have given specialists the ability to diagnose obstructive uropathy (problems caused by the blockage of the urinary system) in the fetus before birth. Unilateral (one side only) or bilateral (both sides) obstruction of the urinary tract can be diagnosed by fetal ultrasound. Fetal conditions such as uteropelvic junction obstruction, posterior ureteral valves, and prune belly syndrome can be diagnosed while the fetus is in the uterus.

Newborns who have been previously diagnosed with obstruction while still in the uterus can receive prompt surgical correction of the defects, often with good results.

Experimental surgery on the fetus while in the uterus, which can relieve the obstruction or decrease the pressure on the kidney in the fetus, is being studied. Future techniques can be expected toresult in better kidney function than the good results that arealready expected.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).