Urological Pathologies Flashcards
What is a kidney obstuction?
a ureteral obstruction is a blockage in one or both of the ureters that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder
Note: Infected obstructed kidney = emergency
Differential diagnosis for ureteral obstruction?
- calculi (stones)
- Pelviureteric junction obstruction
- extrinsic obstruction (when organs press against the ureter causing blockage)
Investigations done in an ureteral obstruction?
- urinalysis
- infection
What are kidney stones?
hard deposits of minerals and acid salts that stick together in concentrated urine and are painful when passed
Note: also called nephrolithiasis
What causes kidney stones?
when your urine contains more crystal forming substances such as calcium, oxalate and uric acid than the fluid in your urine can dilute
1. dehydration
2. excess calcium in urine
3. excess protein in diet
4. certain medications
e.g. diuretics
5. conditions of the GIT
e.g. ulcerative colitis, Crohns disease
6. Hyperthyroidism
Symptoms of kidney calculi?
- Renal colic
- hematuria
- infection
- nausea and vomitting
- dysuria (pain when urinating)
- urinary retention (being unable to urinate)
- urgency (feeling the need to urinate more often)
- fever or chills
What is renal colic?
wavs of sharp, intense pain caused by kidney dysfunction
What causes renal colic?
- urinary stones
- if the stone restricts your flow of urine it can cause increased pressure and inflammation - ureteral or bladder spasms
- when the ureter and bladder muscles contract suddenly resulting in burning and cramping pain
Symptoms of renal colic?
- flank pain
- pain on the sides and back of the abdomen between your lower ribs and your hips
- this pain can radiate to your back, groin or lower abdomen - nausea and vomitting
- painful urination
- blood in pee
- cloudy urine
- urine changes
- foul smelling urine
- peeing more or less - crystals in your urine
- fever
- chills
How to exam for kidney stones?
- abdomen
- hypoactive bowel sounds as seen in ileus due to severe pain - back
- costovertebral angle tenderness
(place left hand pam down at site and bang down on it with your right fist - intense pain is felt) - flank pain
- palpating to find pain on either side of the lower back between pelvis and ribs
Investigations to diagnose kidney calculi?
- urinalysis
- looks for signs of infection and examines the levels of the substances that form kidney stones - imaging
e.g. CT, X-ray and ultrasound
- see the size, shape, location and number of kidney stones - blood test
- check how well the kidneys are functioning, check for infection, look for biochemical problems that may lead to kidney stones
Non-operative management of kidney calculi?
Medications
1. analgesia
2. manage nausea and vomiting
3. relax your ureter so the stone passes
e.g. tamsulosin, nifedipine
Note: ibuprofen can increase the risk of kidney failure if taken while having an acute attack of kidney stones
Name operative managements of kidney calculi?
- ureteroscopy
- shockwave lithotripsy
- percutaneous nephrolithotomy
- open stone surgery
Prevention of kidney calculi?
- drink water
- limit salt
- lose weight
Differential diagnosis of kidney calculi?
- pyelonephritis
- ovarian cyst torsion
- ectopic pregnancies
- large bowel obstruction
- appendicitis
- diverticulitis
- UTIs and cystitis in females
- cholelithiasis (gallstones)
- inflammatory bowel disease
- testicular torsion and UTI in males
- urinary tract obstruction
Symptoms of kidney tumours?
- Visible hematuria
- pain
- loin mass
Benign kidney tumors?
- Oncocytoma
- angiomyolipoma
- cysts
Malignant kidney tumors?
Renal cell carcinoma