Urinary System and Renal Anomalies

Study Notes

Unilateral renal agenesis is a rare anomaly where one kidney is absent.
Supernumerary kidney is another rare anomaly where an extra kidney is present.
Crossed ectopia is a condition where an ectopic kidney lies on the same side as the normal kidney and is often fused to it.
Horseshoe kidney is the most common fusion anomaly.
Duplication is a common anomaly where a duplicated pelvis, ureter, and ureterovesical orifice is present.
Ureterocele is a cystic dilatation of the distal ureter near its insertion into the bladder.
Posterior urethral valves are thin membranes found almost exclusively in males that cause bladder outlet obstruction.

Glomerulonephritis is a nonsuppurative inflammation of the glomeruli in the kidney.
Pyelonephritis is a suppurative inflammation of the kidney and renal pelvis caused by bacteria.
Emphysematous pyelonephritis is a severe form of pyelonephritis caused by gas-forming bacteria in diabetic patients.
Tuberculosis can spread hematogenously and lead to granulomas in the kidneys.
Papillary necrosis is a destructive process involving the medullary papillae and renal pyramids.
Cystitis, inflammation of the urinary bladder, is more common in women due to a shorter urethra.

Urinary calculi are typically formed in the kidneys and can cause pain when obstructing ureters.
Urinary tract obstruction can lead to anatomical and functional changes depending on onset, occlusion, and distance from the kidney.

Renal cysts (simple) are the most common unifocal renal masses.
Polycystic kidney disease is characterized by multiple cysts which cause kidney enlargement and renal impairment.

Renal carcinoma is the most common renal neoplasm and occurs predominantly in patients over 40 years old.
Wilms’ tumor is the most common abdominal neoplasm of infancy and childhood.
Carcinoma of the bladder (urothelial carcinoma) originates in the epithelium of the bladder.

Acute renal failure is a rapid deterioration in kidney function leading to nitrogenous waste accumulation in the blood.
Chronic renal failure can be due to prerenal, postrenal, or intrinsic kidney disease.
Causes of chronic renal failure include bilateral renal artery stenosis, bilateral ureteral obstruction, and intrinsic disorders like chronic glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, and cystic diseases.