Hydronephrosis in children and adults

A disease such as hydronephrosis is nothing more than an excessive fluid content directly in the kidney. This effect arises because of the disturbed outflow of urine. This disease is quite serious. After all, in the worst case, the kidney loses its functional abilities. And this threatens the life of a person.

There are two types of disease:

• Congenital (primary). There is such a hydronephrosis in newborns.
• Acquired (secondary). This option is typical for adults.

Causes

A secondary type of disease occurs as a result of a disease that causes a change in the structure of the urinary tract or even the kidneys themselves. Among such diseases, it is especially possible to identify prostate adenoma, cysts, inflammatory processes in the ureter or in the renal pelvis. Hydronephrosis in children of the primary type is a consequence of congenital anomalies, which are the altered form of the kidneys or their vessels.

The disease is also unilateral, when only one kidney is affected, and bilateral. The latter option occurs when there is a violation of urinary outflow directly in the lower part of the urinary tract. Thus, 2 kidneys suffer greatly from excess fluid. It is worth noting that most often hydronephrosis in children is of a one-sided nature.

Degrees of disease

Doctors distinguish 3 main degrees of development of hydronephrosis:

1. The first degree is characterized by stretching the pelvis of the kidney. This is due to excessive pressure on her urine. The kidney increases in size.
2. The second degree is accompanied by an ever larger pelvic enlargement. The same happens with the kidney cups. At this stage, there is a significant violation of the functional characteristics of the kidney.
3. Finally, the last, third degree is a change in the renal tissue as a whole, which is already irreversible. The kidney loses its functional destinies, and eventually dies. In this case, there is a threat to the life of the patient.

Hydronephrosis. Symptoms

Depending on this, to what extent is hydronephrosis, the symptoms can be expressed to some extent. At an early stage the disease does not disturb the patient. This is why often hydronephrosis is diagnosed only at the last stages.

In children, hydronephrosis is difficult to detect. Is that necessary to pay attention to the special concern of the child. Sometimes in the urine of children with hydronephrosis can detect small amounts of blood. In this case, you must definitely run to the doctor.

In newborns, the ailment is usually detected very early, even at the time of ultrasound examination of the fetus. In adults and children of older age, hydronephrosis is often detected by chance, if the patient undergoes the examination in a completely different way.

Symptoms of the disease in the late stages can be:

• renal colic;
• Aching pain in the kidney area ;
• edema;
• high pressure;
• The appearance of blood in the urine.

Diagnostics

An important and basic method that helps diagnose hydronephrosis in children is ultrasound. In addition, the doctor may appoint such studies as radioisotope renography, computed tomography and CDC. All of them are aimed at seeing the structure of the kidneys, vessels and urinary tract.

Often, hydronephrosis is the cause of infectious diseases. In this regard, the urine test is additionally performed. The functional test helps the treating doctor to study also the functional changes in the kidneys.

Treatment

To date, complete relief from the disease is possible only through surgical intervention. The main task of the operation is the immediate removal of the obstruction, which prevents the outflow of urine. The doctor chooses an individual approach to treatment, which depends on the patient's health and the stage of development of hydronephrosis. Recently, more and more often the intervention is performed endoscopically. In this case, there will not be a large incision, and, accordingly, a seam.

Hydronephrosis in children sometimes does not even require radical intervention. It happens that in a few years it passes by itself. However, to observe the specialist still necessary. With the slightest increase in symptomatic manifestations of the disease, surgical treatment must be carried out necessarily.