N13.60: Hydronephrosis with ureteropelvic obstruction with renal infection

Your kidney has become inflamed. Your renal pelvis is also dilated.

The urinary passages consist of the kidneys, the ureters, the bladder and the urethra.

There are normally 2 kidneys in the body. They filter blood and create urine. They thus help to detoxify the body. Furthermore, the kidneys regulate the blood pressure and salt content in the blood, among other things. Each kidney is made up of renal tissue and a renal pelvis. The renal tissue makes up the urine. The urine gathers in the renal pelvis.

The ureter is a thin, muscular tube in the abdomen. There is usually one ureter on each side. The urine flows from the kidney, via the ureter, to the bladder. When you have to pass water, the urine flows from the bladder via the urethra and out.

The renal pelvis can become distended if one part of the urinary passages is constricted. The passage between your renal pelvis and ureter has become constricted. The narrowing of the ureter is stopping the urine draining from the kidney properly. If the urine cannot drain from the kidneys properly, it builds up there. This can cause the renal pelvis to expand.

Pathogens can get into the renal pelvis via the urinary tract. If the urine is blocked and the renal pelvis is dilated, it becomes more difficult to excrete these pathogens. As a result, the kidney may become inflamed. Inflamed kidneys can be very painful. The inflamed kidney may no longer work properly.