Chronic bilateral obstructive uropathy

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Bladder catheterization, female

Bladder catheterization, male

Chronic bilateral obstructive uropathy is the prolonged or progressive blockage of urine flow from both kidneys.

Obstructive uropathy - bilateral - chronic; Kidney failure - chronic blockage

Obstructive uropathy occurs when the flow of urine from the kidneys is blocked (obstructed). This causes kidney swelling and damage. The blockage can occur anywhere along the urinary tract.

A slow blockage that gets worse over time causes chronic bilateral obstructive uropathy. Bilateral means the blockage affects both kidneys. The most common cause of this is bladder outlet blockage. In this condition, the kidneys produce urine in the normal manner but the urine cannot leave the bladder. Urine may back up behind this blockage and cause damage to the structures of the urinary tract.

When the blockage causes urine to back up into both kidneys, hydronephrosis (swelling of the kidneys) results. If both kidneys are affected, hypertension and renal failure may occur.

In men, the most common cause of chronic bilateral obstructive uropathy is due to the blockage of  of both ureters (the tubes between the kidneys and the bladder), the bladder, or the urethra. In men, this is most often as a result of a benign enlargement of the prostate (BPH). Such blockage is much less common in women.

Other causes of chronic bilateral obstructive uropathy include:

• Bladder tumors
• Prostate tumors
• Tumors or masses of the uterus or other structures around the bladder neck or urethra
• Retroperitoneal fibrosis  
• Narrowing of the urethra due to a birth defect or scar tissue

Chronic bilateral obstructive uropathy occurs in about 1 out of every 1,000 people.

See also: acute bilateral obstructive uropathy

Review Date: 05/03/2006
Reviewed By: Neil D. Sherman, MD, Urologist, Essex County, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.