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    Hydronephrosis

    Hydronephrosis is a topic covered in the 5-Minute Clinical Consult.

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    Basics

    Description

    • Hydronephrosis refers to a structural finding—dilatation of the renal calyces and pelvis.
      • May occur with urinary tract infection (UTI), vesicoureteric reflux (VUR), high urine output, or physiologic changes in pregnancy
      • Sometimes accompanied with hydroureter
      • Presentation varies from incidental finding to discovery during workup for UTI or for flank or abdominal pain.
    • Hydronephrosis should not be used interchangeably with obstructive uropathy, which refers to the damage to renal parenchyma resulting from urinary tract obstruction (UTO).

    Epidemiology

    • UTO is more common in men than women and in children than adults (congenital anomalies).
    • Acute unilateral obstruction is more common than bilateral.

    Etiology and Pathophysiology

    • Hydronephrosis develops with increased pressure in the urinary collecting system.
    • Increased pressure within the renal collecting system can cause calyceal fornix rupture and urinary extravasation.
    • Over time, pressures return to normal, but kidney function declines from intense renal vasoconstriction.
    • With concomitant urinary infection, bacteria can enter the renal vasculature, resulting in sepsis.
    • UTO: may be acute/chronic, partial/complete, uni-/bilateral
      • Intraluminal obstruction: calculi, sloughed renal papillae, blood clot, fungal ball
      • Intrinsic abnormality of the urinary collecting system: transitional cell carcinomas, benign prostatic hypertrophy, prostate cancer, congenital ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction, ureterocele, neurogenic bladder (functional obstruction), urethral stricture or tuberculosis (TB) (can cause ureteral narrowing)
      • Extrinsic compression of the urinary collecting system: extraurinary malignancy (lymphoma, colon, cervix), aortic/iliac aneurysm, retroperitoneal fibrosis, uterine prolapse (15% affected), endometriosis, ovarian vein syndrome, IgG4-related disease
      • Transplant hydronephrosis: Consider BK virus.
    • UTO in transplanted kidneys is more common than native kidneys, specifically in immediate posttransplant period. It is due to ureteral strictures, lymphoceles (ureteral compression and bladder dysfunction).
    • VUR resulting in varying degrees of hydroureteronephrosis
    • Physiologic hydronephrosis of pregnancy
    • Hydronephrosis due to high urine output (e.g., diabetes insipidus, psychogenic polydipsia)
    • Hydronephrosis of infection: due to bacterial toxins inhibiting smooth muscle contraction of the renal pelvis and ureter
    Pediatric Considerations
    • Antenatal hydronephrosis is diagnosed in 1–5% of pregnancies, usually by US, as early as the 12th to 14th week of gestation.
    • Children with antenatal hydronephrosis are at greater risk of postnatal pathology.
    • Postnatal evaluation begins with US exam; further studies, such as voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG), based on the severity of postnatal hydronephrosis
    • In neonates, it is the most common cause of abdominal mass.
    • Common etiologies in children are VUR, congenital UPJ obstruction, neurogenic bladder, and posterior urethral valves.
    • Pediatric diagnostic algorithm differs from adult due to different differential diagnosis necessitating age-appropriate testing.
    Pregnancy Considerations
    • Physiologic hydronephrosis in pregnancy is more prominent on the right than left and can be seen in up to 80% of pregnant women.
    • Dilatation is caused by hormonal effects, external compression from expanding uterus, and intrinsic changes in the ureteral wall.
    • Despite high incidence, most cases are asymptomatic.
    • If symptomatic and refractory to medical management, ureteric calculus should be considered and urinary infection must be excluded.

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    Citation

    Stephens, Mark B., et al., editors. "Hydronephrosis." 5-Minute Clinical Consult, 27th ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2019. Medicine Central, im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/116290/all/Hydronephrosis.
    Hydronephrosis. In: Stephens MB, Golding J, Baldor RA, et al, eds. 5-Minute Clinical Consult. 27th ed. Wolters Kluwer; 2019. https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/116290/all/Hydronephrosis. Accessed April 24, 2019.
    Hydronephrosis. (2019). In Stephens, M. B., Golding, J., Baldor, R. A., & Domino, F. J. (Eds.), 5-Minute Clinical Consult. Available from https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/116290/all/Hydronephrosis
    Hydronephrosis [Internet]. In: Stephens MB, Golding J, Baldor RA, Domino FJ, editors. 5-Minute Clinical Consult. Wolters Kluwer; 2019. [cited 2019 April 24]. Available from: https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/116290/all/Hydronephrosis.
    * Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
    TY - ELEC T1 - Hydronephrosis ID - 116290 ED - Stephens,Mark B, ED - Golding,Jeremy, ED - Baldor,Robert A, ED - Domino,Frank J, BT - 5-Minute Clinical Consult, Updating UR - https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/116290/all/Hydronephrosis PB - Wolters Kluwer ET - 27 DB - Medicine Central DP - Unbound Medicine ER -