BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuHydronephrosis of one kidneyHydronephrosis; Chronic hydronephrosis; Acute hydronephrosis; Urinary obstruction; Unilateral hydronephrosis; Nephrolithiasis - hydronephrosis; Kidney stone - hydronephrosis; Renal calculi - hydronephrosis; Ureteral calculi - hydronephrosis; Vesicoureteral reflux - hydronephrosis; Obstructive uropathy - hydronephrosisHydronephrosis is swelling of one kidney due to a backup of urine. This problem may occur in one kidney. Causes Hydronephrosis (kidney swelling) occurs as the result of a disease. It is not a disease itself. Conditions that may lead to hydronephrosis include:Blockage of a ureter due to scarring caused by prior infections, surgeries, or radiation treatments Blockage from an enlarged uterus during pregnancy Birth defects of the urinary system Back flow of urine from bladder to kidney, called vesicoureteral reflux (may occur as a birth defect or due to an enlarged prostate or narrowing of the urethra) Back flow of urine from bladder to kidn...Reflux nephropathy is a condition in which the kidneys are damaged by the backward flow of urine into the kidney.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Kidney stones Kidney stonesA kidney stone is a solid mass made up of tiny crystals. One or more stones can be in the kidney or ureter at the same time.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Cancers or tumors that occur in the ureter, bladder, pelvis or abdomen Problems with the nerves that supply the bladderThe blockage and swelling of the kidney may occur suddenly or may develop slowly. Symptoms Common symptoms include:Flank pain Flank painFlank pain is pain in one side of the body between the upper belly area (abdomen) and the back.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Abdominal mass, especially in children Abdominal massAn abdominal mass is swelling in one part of the belly area (abdomen).ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Nausea and vomiting Urinary tract infection (UTI) Fever Painful urination (dysuria) Increased urinary frequency Increased urinary urgency In some cases, there may be no symptoms. Exams and Tests The condition is found on an imaging test such as:MRI of the abdomen MRI of the abdomenAn abdominal magnetic resonance imaging scan is an imaging test that uses powerful magnets and radio waves. The waves create pictures of the inside ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article CT scan of the kidneys or abdomen CT scan of the kidneys or abdomenAn abdominal CT scan is an imaging method. This test uses x-rays to create cross-sectional pictures of the belly area. CT stands for computed tomog...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Intravenous pyelogram (IVP) Intravenous pyelogramAn intravenous pyelogram (IVP) is a special x-ray exam of the kidneys, bladder, and ureters (the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladd...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Kidney scan Kidney scanA positron emission tomography (PET) scan is a type of imaging test. It uses a radioactive substance called a tracer to look for disease in the body...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Ultrasound of the kidneys or abdomen Ultrasound of the kidneysAbdominal ultrasound is a type of imaging test. It is used to look at organs in the abdomen, including the liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, and...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment Treatment depends on the cause of the kidney swelling. Treatment may include:Placing a stent (tube) through the bladder and ureter to allow urine to flow from the kidney into the bladder Placing a tube into the kidney through the skin to allow the blocked urine to drain out of the body into a drainage bag Placing a tube into the kidney through ...Percutaneous (through the skin) urinary procedures help drain urine from your kidney and get rid of kidney stones.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Antibiotics for infections Surgery to correct the blockage or reflux Removal of any stone that is causing blockage People who have only one kidney, who have immune system disorders such as diabetes or HIV, or who have had a transplant will need treatment right away.People who have long-term hydronephrosis may need antibiotics to reduce the risk of UTI. Outlook (Prognosis) Loss of kidney function, UTI, and pain may occur if the condition is left untreated. Possible Complications If hydronephrosis is not treated, the affected kidney may be permanently damaged. Kidney failure is rare if the other kidney is working normally. However, kidney failure will occur if there is only one functioning kidney. UTI and pain may also occur.Kidney failureAcute kidney failure is the rapid (less than 2 days) loss of your kidneys' ability to remove waste and help balance fluids and electrolytes in your b...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact your health care provider if you have ongoing or severe flank pain, or fever, or if you think you may have hydronephrosis. Prevention Prevention of the disorders that cause this condition will prevent it from occurring. Open ReferencesReferencesFrøkiaer J. Urinary tract obstruction. In: Yu ASL, Chertow GM, Luyckx VA, Marsden PA, Skorecki K, Taal MW, eds. Brenner and Rector's The Kidney. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 37.Gallagher KM, Hughes J. Urinary tract obstruction. In: Feehally J, Floege J, Tonelli M, Johnson RJ, eds. Comprehensive Clinical Nephrology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 58.AllVideoImagesTogFemale urinary tract - illustration The female and male urinary tracts are relatively the same except for the length of the urethra.Female urinary tractillustrationMale urinary tract - illustration The male and female urinary tracts are relatively the same except for the length of the urethra.Male urinary tractillustrationFemale urinary tract - illustration The female and male urinary tracts are relatively the same except for the length of the urethra.Female urinary tractillustrationMale urinary tract - illustration The male and female urinary tracts are relatively the same except for the length of the urethra.Male urinary tractillustrationRelated Information Bilateral hydronephrosis(Condition)Reflux nephropathy(Condition)Kidney stones(Condition)Acute kidney failure(Condition)Kidney stones - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 1/1/2022 Reviewed By: Kelly L. Stratton, MD, FACS, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Hydronephrosis of one kidneyHydronephrosis; Chronic hydronephrosis; Acute hydronephrosis; Urinary obstruction; Unilateral hydronephrosis; Nephrolithiasis - hydronephrosis; Kidney stone - hydronephrosis; Renal calculi - hydronephrosis; Ureteral calculi - hydronephrosis; Vesicoureteral reflux - hydronephrosis; Obstructive uropathy - hydronephrosisHydronephrosis is swelling of one kidney due to a backup of urine. This problem may occur in one kidney. Causes Hydronephrosis (kidney swelling) occurs as the result of a disease. It is not a disease itself. Conditions that may lead to hydronephrosis include:Blockage of a ureter due to scarring caused by prior infections, surgeries, or radiation treatments Blockage from an enlarged uterus during pregnancy Birth defects of the urinary system Back flow of urine from bladder to kidney, called vesicoureteral reflux (may occur as a birth defect or due to an enlarged prostate or narrowing of the urethra) Back flow of urine from bladder to kidn...Reflux nephropathy is a condition in which the kidneys are damaged by the backward flow of urine into the kidney.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Kidney stones Kidney stonesA kidney stone is a solid mass made up of tiny crystals. One or more stones can be in the kidney or ureter at the same time.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Cancers or tumors that occur in the ureter, bladder, pelvis or abdomen Problems with the nerves that supply the bladderThe blockage and swelling of the kidney may occur suddenly or may develop slowly. Symptoms Common symptoms include:Flank pain Flank painFlank pain is pain in one side of the body between the upper belly area (abdomen) and the back.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Abdominal mass, especially in children Abdominal massAn abdominal mass is swelling in one part of the belly area (abdomen).ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Nausea and vomiting Urinary tract infection (UTI) Fever Painful urination (dysuria) Increased urinary frequency Increased urinary urgency In some cases, there may be no symptoms. Exams and Tests The condition is found on an imaging test such as:MRI of the abdomen MRI of the abdomenAn abdominal magnetic resonance imaging scan is an imaging test that uses powerful magnets and radio waves. The waves create pictures of the inside ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article CT scan of the kidneys or abdomen CT scan of the kidneys or abdomenAn abdominal CT scan is an imaging method. This test uses x-rays to create cross-sectional pictures of the belly area. CT stands for computed tomog...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Intravenous pyelogram (IVP) Intravenous pyelogramAn intravenous pyelogram (IVP) is a special x-ray exam of the kidneys, bladder, and ureters (the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladd...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Kidney scan Kidney scanA positron emission tomography (PET) scan is a type of imaging test. It uses a radioactive substance called a tracer to look for disease in the body...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Ultrasound of the kidneys or abdomen Ultrasound of the kidneysAbdominal ultrasound is a type of imaging test. It is used to look at organs in the abdomen, including the liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, and...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment Treatment depends on the cause of the kidney swelling. Treatment may include:Placing a stent (tube) through the bladder and ureter to allow urine to flow from the kidney into the bladder Placing a tube into the kidney through the skin to allow the blocked urine to drain out of the body into a drainage bag Placing a tube into the kidney through ...Percutaneous (through the skin) urinary procedures help drain urine from your kidney and get rid of kidney stones.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Antibiotics for infections Surgery to correct the blockage or reflux Removal of any stone that is causing blockage People who have only one kidney, who have immune system disorders such as diabetes or HIV, or who have had a transplant will need treatment right away.People who have long-term hydronephrosis may need antibiotics to reduce the risk of UTI. Outlook (Prognosis) Loss of kidney function, UTI, and pain may occur if the condition is left untreated. Possible Complications If hydronephrosis is not treated, the affected kidney may be permanently damaged. Kidney failure is rare if the other kidney is working normally. However, kidney failure will occur if there is only one functioning kidney. UTI and pain may also occur.Kidney failureAcute kidney failure is the rapid (less than 2 days) loss of your kidneys' ability to remove waste and help balance fluids and electrolytes in your b...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article When to Contact a Medical Professional Contact your health care provider if you have ongoing or severe flank pain, or fever, or if you think you may have hydronephrosis. Prevention Prevention of the disorders that cause this condition will prevent it from occurring. Open ReferencesReferencesFrøkiaer J. Urinary tract obstruction. In: Yu ASL, Chertow GM, Luyckx VA, Marsden PA, Skorecki K, Taal MW, eds. Brenner and Rector's The Kidney. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 37.Gallagher KM, Hughes J. Urinary tract obstruction. In: Feehally J, Floege J, Tonelli M, Johnson RJ, eds. Comprehensive Clinical Nephrology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 58.