MEDICINE (Dr.

TOGLE)

URINARY TRACT OBSTRUCTION

06 DECEMBER 2017

CLINICAL FEATURES AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

URINARY TRACT OBSTRUCTION

Ö Pain, the symptom that most commonly leads to medical attention,

is due to distention of the collecting system or renal capsule
Ö Acute supravesical obstruction is associated with excruciating pain,
known as renal colic
Ö Flank pain that occurs only with micturition is pathognomonic of
vesicoureteral reflux
Ö Azotemia develops when overall excretory function is impaired, often
in the setting of bladder outlet obstruction, bilateral renal pelvic or
ureteric obstruction, or unilateral disease in a patient with a solitary
functioning kidney.
Ö Partial bilateral UTO often results in acquired distal renal tubular
» Obstruction to the flow of urine, with attendant stasis and elevation acidosis, hyperkalemia, and renal salt wasting
in urinary tract pressure, impairs renal and urinary conduit functions
and is a common cause of acute and chronic kidney disease
(obstructive nephropathy).
» chronic obstruction may produce permanent loss of renal mass
(renal atrophy) and excretory capability

ETIOLOGY
§ can result from intrinsic or extrinsic mechanical blockade as
well as from functional defects not associated with fixed
occlusion of the urinary drainage system
§ Mechanical obstruction can occur at any level of the urinary
tract, from the renal calyces to the external urethral meatus.
§ Normal points of narrowing:
» ureteropelvic and ureterovesical junctions, bladder neck, and
urethral meatus, are common sites of obstruction.
§ When obstruction is above the level of the bladder, unilateral Ö UTO must always be considered in patients with urinary tract
dilatation of the ureter (hydroureter) and renal pyelocalyceal infections or urolithiasis.
system (hydronephrosis) occurs; lesions at or below the level of
Ö Urinary stasis encourages the growth of organisms.
the bladder cause bilateral involvement. Ö Urea-splitting bacteria are associated with magnesium ammonium
§ abnormal insertion of the ureter into the bladder- most phosphate (struvite) calculi.
common cause of obstruction in children
Ö Hypertension is frequent in acute and sub- acute unilateral
§ Posterior urethral valves are the most common cause of obstruction and is usually a consequence of increased release of
bilateral hydronephrosis in boys. renin by the involved kidney
§ In adults, urinary tract obstruction (UTO) is due mainly to
Ö Erythrocytosis, an infrequent complication of obstructive uropathy,
acquired defects is secondary to increased erythropoietin production.

1
DIAGNOSIS:
» history of difficulty in voiding, pain, infection, or change in
urinary volume is common
» Urinalysis may reveal hematuria, pyuria, and bacteriuria
» Ultrasonography is approximately 90% specific and sensitive
for detection of hydronephrosis.
» Duplex Doppler ultrasonography may detect an increased
resistive index in urinary obstruction.
» To facilitate visualization of a suspected lesion in a ureter or
renal pelvis, retrograde or antegrade urography should be
attempted
» Voiding cystourethrography is of value in the diagnosis of
vesico- ureteral reflux and bladder neck and urethral
obstructions

TREATMENT:
§ Drainage may be achieved by nephrostomy, ureterostomy, or
ureteral, urethral, or suprapubic catheterization
§ Prolonged antibiotic treatment may be necessary
§ When infection is not present, surgery is often delayed until
acid-base, fluid, and electrolyte status is restored
§ Benign prostatic hypertrophy may be treated medically with α-
adrenergic blockers and 5α-reductase inhibitors