Is hydronephrosis of both kidneys serious?

Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
Updated on November 29, 2024
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Clinically, bilateral hydronephrosis is serious, as it can lead to expansion of the renal pelvis. Long-term bilateral hydronephrosis can compress the renal parenchyma, leading to the development of chronic obstructive nephropathy, and thus cause chronic renal failure. Additionally, because urine cannot be expelled from the body in a timely manner in bilateral hydronephrosis, it is easy to combine with bacterial infections, which can lead to acute pyelonephritis. Patients may experience chills, fever, and severe back pain, as well as hematuria and general fatigue. Therefore, it is essential to identify the cause of bilateral hydronephrosis and treat it based on the nature of the hydronephrosis. Usually, the causes of bilateral hydronephrosis are related to stones, but tumorous diseases, bladder stones, or urethral strictures are also common causes.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Is hydronephrosis serious?

Whether the condition of hydronephrosis is serious depends on various factors such as the duration of hydronephrosis, the cause, the extent of fluid accumulation, and more. For example, some patients may have mild hydronephrosis in only one kidney and it may have developed recently; generally, this condition is not very serious. Some patients might have urinary obstructions caused by urinary system stones, and the issue could be resolved using extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or surgical stone removal, making the condition not serious. However, in some cases, the cause could be bladder cancer or a tumor near the urinary system compressing the ureter, and if the tumor is difficult to remove, the hydronephrosis might be hard to manage. Long-term fluid accumulation might lead to kidney failure, and these scenarios are considered quite serious.

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Nephrology
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What is hydronephrosis?

The so-called hydronephrosis is a morphological description, referring to an obstruction in the urinary system caused by various reasons. After the kidneys produce urine, it cannot be normally delivered to the bladder. This leads to fluid accumulation in the renal pelvis and calyces, which can be detected through imaging as hydronephrosis. The causes of hydronephrosis are numerous. The most common cause is acquired obstruction, primarily due to urinary system stones, scarring from injuries, or tumors in the urinary system compressing the ureter, which often results in urinary tract obstruction. In addition, some congenital causes can also lead to urinary tract obstruction. Examples include segmental dysfunction of the ureter, intrinsic stenosis of the ureter, and twisting of the ureter. However, these congenital obstruction causes are relatively rare.

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How is hydronephrosis diagnosed?

Strictly speaking, hydronephrosis cannot be considered an independent disease; it is merely a descriptive term in imaging, and is the result of many causes and various etiologies. It occurs because urine produced by the kidneys cannot smoothly pass through the ureters and bladder to be excreted from the body, leading to fluid accumulation in the renal pelvis and calyces. This may be caused by prostate enlargement, tumors in the urinary system, urinary system stones, or chronic inflammation and scarring of the ureters. Generally, hydronephrosis can be detected through imaging techniques, including urinary system ultrasound or CT, which can confirm the diagnosis.

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Does hydronephrosis hurt a lot?

Hydronephrosis does not necessarily cause severe pain. If the hydronephrosis develops suddenly over a short period, it might cause intense pain, most commonly due to urinary system stones blocking the ureter, leading to hydronephrosis. At this time, the ureter may experience spasms, causing severe pain. However, if the hydronephrosis develops gradually, the patient's pain symptoms might not be pronounced. For example, insufficient motility of the ureter or some type of narrowing could lead to the accumulation of fluid. If this condition develops slowly and persists for a long time, the patient might not feel particularly uncomfortable, despite the hydronephrosis, and it may only be discovered incidentally during a physical examination.

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Will people with hydronephrosis have edema?

Hydronephrosis can potentially cause patients to exhibit symptoms of edema. Urine is produced by the kidneys and is expelled from the body through the urinary system, including the ureters and bladder. If there is an obstructive issue in the urinary system, the urine produced by the kidneys cannot be excreted smoothly, leading to hydronephrosis. When a large amount of fluid cannot be excreted, it eventually causes edema in the body. However, if the patient has hydronephrosis on only one side and the other kidney is healthy, the healthy kidney can fully compensate for the entire kidney function and sufficiently excrete fluids. Therefore, patients with unilateral hydronephrosis often do not show obvious signs of edema. But if a patient has bilateral hydronephrosis, and urine produced by both kidneys cannot be excreted, the patient will exhibit signs of edema.