Almost every woman, especially at a young age, at least once faced with diseases of the urinary system. After a thorough examination, hydronephrosis of the kidneys is often revealed - what is it, unfortunately, doctors rarely explain, leaving the patient in complete ignorance. However, it is extremely important to have such information, since reliable knowledge of pathology and understanding of one's own illness are an important part of successful treatment.
What is the kidney disease of hydronephrosis?
The ailment under consideration, in fact, is a transformation of the kidney.
Because of the violation of the outflow of urine, and, accordingly, its retention in the organs of the excretory system, there is an increase in pressure (hydrostatic) in the pelvis and calyces of the kidneys. Due to this condition they expand, which, in turn, leads to squeezing of blood vessels, deterioration of nutrition of organs, their functioning, development of atrophic processes in the parenchyma.
In most cases, there is hydronephrosis of a single kidney. This is due to the fact that, with a pathological accumulation of urine in one of the organs, the second takes on a double burden on the removal of biological fluid, compensating for dysfunction.
Bilateral hydronephrosis of the kidneys, as a rule, develops against the background of previous diseases of the urinary system, which also progressed in both paired organs.
Stages of kidney hydronephrosis
Corresponding to the extent to which the damaged kidney can perform its direct functions, three stages of the described disease are distinguished:
- There was an expansion of only the pelvic area of the organ. The kidney itself either did not undergo changes, or they are insignificant and do not affect its functioning.
- The pelvis is significantly enlarged with simultaneous thinning of its walls. At the same time, the size of the kidney was increased (by about 18-20%). The ability of the pelvis to evacuate the urine is significantly impaired, as is the functionality of the kidney - from 20 to 40%.
- Intensive expansion, like pelvis, and cups, because of what the kidney looks like a multi-chamber cavity. The size of the organ increases by a factor of 1.5-2. There is an acute disruption of the functions of the damaged kidney, by 70-80%. In severe cases, it generally ceases to work.
With the diagnosis of kidney hydronephrosis, the condition of the parenchyma (the tissue lining the surface) of the organ is of no small importance. Depending on the intensity of its damage, the disease is 3 degrees:
- The parenchyma is completely preserved.
- The tissue lesions are insignificant.
- Severe shell damage.
- Kidney dysfunction, absence of parenchyma.
Symptoms and causes of kidney hydronephrosis
Congenital pathology develops due to such factors:
- anomalies of the location of arteries and branches of the kidneys;
- obstruction of the urinary tract;
- incorrect localization of the ureter;
- valves, ureter structures;
- dyskinesia of the urinary tract.
The causes of hydronephrosis acquired after birth are:
- tumors of the uterus and its cervix, ovaries;
- urolithiasis disease;
- cicatricial narrowing of the urinary tract after injury;
- inflammatory pathologies of the organs of the urinary and reproductive system;
- damage to the spinal cord;
- Malignant infiltration, metastases in the small pelvis or retroperitoneal space;
- neoplasm of urinary tract.
As a rule, the progression of hydronephrosis is imperceptible to the patient. The only characteristic symptom of the disease is aching pain, which is present constantly, regardless of the position of the body and time of day. Sometimes the body temperature rises if the infection joins. In rare cases, blood is excreted in the urine.
In the late stages of the disease, he has all the clinical manifestations of kidney failure.
What is the risk of kidney disease hydronephrosis?
The examined pathology can be complicated by some disorders, which are dangerous for health and life:
- sepsis ;
- kidney failure;
- pyelonephritis ;
- urolithiasis disease;
- rupture of the hydronephrosis sac;
- hypertension.