Retroperitoneal fibrosis

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Male urinary system

Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis; Ormond's disease

Surgery to remove the mass and free the ureters may be required. In some cases, the ureters will be moved to a different position in the body or wrapped in fat tissue harvested from other areas to prevent recurrence of the fibrosis.

Stents (drainage tubes) placed in the ureter or in the renal pelvis may provide short-term relief of the symptoms until the mass can be removed.

Corticosteroid therapy may help if surgery can't be done due to other medical conditions.

Some doctors use the drug tamoxifen to treat this condition.

Prognosis depends on the extent of the fibrosis and the amount of damage to the kidneys. The kidney damage may be temporary or permanent.

• Chronic bilateral obstructive uropathy
• Chronic unilateral obstructive uropathy
• Chronic renal failure

Call your health care provider if you experience lower abdomen or flank pain, particularly with decreased urine volume.

Review Date: 06/03/2005
Reviewed By: Thomas A. Owens, M.D., Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.