Paediatric Urology

Dr. Oriol Martín Solé · Information for families

Upper urinary tract conditions in children

The renal pelvis and ureters carry urine from the kidney to the bladder. These are some of the conditions that can affect this pathway.

Understanding upper urinary tract conditions

8 conditions
Markedly dilated renal pelvis and calyces, with a normal-calibre ureter.

Hydronephrosis

Dilatation of the renal pelvis and calyces, the spaces that collect urine inside the kidney.

Markedly dilated renal pelvis; the arrow points to narrowing at the pelviureteric junction.

Pelviureteric junction obstruction

Narrowing where the renal pelvis joins the ureter, making urine drainage more difficult. If obstruction is present, reconstructive surgery (pyeloplasty) may be needed.

Dilated ureter and kidney collecting spaces; a broad red arrow shows urine flowing back from the bladder towards the kidney.

Vesicoureteral reflux

Backward flow of urine from the bladder into the ureter and sometimes up to the kidney. It can promote recurrent urinary tract infections and, if these involve the kidney, renal scarring and loss of kidney function.

Dilated ureter, renal pelvis and calyces.

Hydroureteronephrosis

Dilatation of the ureter and the urine-collecting spaces within the kidney.

Dilated ureter with distal narrowing; the red arrow points to the ureterovesical junction.

Obstructive megaureter

A widened ureter caused by impaired drainage at its lower end, near the bladder.

Complete duplication: two separate ureters reach the bladder; the upper-pole ureter, in blue, inserts below and medial to the lower-pole ureter, in ochre, following the Weigert-Meyer rule.

Ureteric duplication

Two ureters drain the same kidney and may reach the bladder separately or after joining.

A duplex example: the upper-pole ureter, in blue, opens into the urethra below the bladder.

Ectopic ureter

A ureter that opens at an abnormal location, often outside the bladder. It is usually associated with a duplicated ureteric system. In girls, an opening outside the bladder, such as in the vagina, can cause continuous urinary leakage.

A prominent ureteric stone with dilatation of the proximal ureter and renal pelvis.

Ureteric stones

A stone in the ureter that may obstruct the flow of urine towards the bladder.

Illustrative diagrams show one example of each condition and do not represent every variation.

Further reading
All conditions