Ureter Disorders

Types of Ureteral Disorders

Ureterocele and duplicated ureter

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Ureteropelvic Junction

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Mayo Clinic offers diagnosis and treatment for these disorders of the ureters:

Duplication of the Ureter

Two ureters form on the same kidney. This congenital condition is common and occurs in about one of every 125 babies. The second ureter can be completely or only partially developed. If either of these ureters does not function properly, urine can back up into the kidney and cause damage.

Ureteropelvic Junction

When the connection between the kidney and ureter is blocked, urine cannot flow out of the kidney, which causes the kidney to swell (hydronephrosis). This condition can eventually cause the kidney to quit working.

This abnormality can be congenital (at birth), can develop with normal childhood growth or can result from an injury or scarring. In rare cases, the condition develops from a tumor.

This ureteral disorder is more common among boys, and severity varies. One patient with the condition may have kidney failure while another may have few or no symptoms. Because of this wide variance, a child diagnosed with ureteropelvic junction who does not have symptoms should be monitored through regular doctor visits and, if the blockage begins to interfere with the kidney, needs to have it treated.

Ureterovesical Junction

In this condition, the blockage occurs between the ureter and the bladder, causing urine to back up into the kidneys.

Ureterocele

When the ureter is too narrow and does not allow urine to flow normally, a ureterocele (a tiny hernia) will develop, usually in the section of the ureter closest to the bladder. This hernia blocks urine flow, causing urine to back up into the kidney, which can damage the kidney.

This disorder frequently develops with duplication of the ureter. In about 10 percent of cases, a ureterocele develops on both kidneys.

Ectopic Ureteral Orifice

This occurs when a ureter develops from the kidney at an abnormal location. Rather than connecting to the bladder, it may connect to another organ or tissue, such as the genital area in males and the uterus (womb) in females. In most cases, this occurs with duplication of the ureter and ureterocele.

Retrocaval Ureter

In this rare condition (also known as circumcaval ureter or postcaval ureter), the ureter twists abnormally and can block the urine flow from the kidney to the bladder.

Intrinsic or Extrinsic Ureteral Obstruction

Ureteral Stones

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This condition refers to a blocked ureter. Among the causes of ureteral obstruction are:

• Ureteral stones
• Severe constipation, which happens primarily in children but also in adults
• Cancerous and noncancerous tumors, kinks or fibrosis (internal tissue growth), such as endometriosis in females
• Long-term swelling (chronic inflammation) of the ureter wall, usually due to diseases such as tuberculosis or schistosomiasis

Retroperitoneal Fibrosis

Also known as Ormond disease, retroperitoneal fasciitis and chronic retroperitoneal fibroplasia.
This rare disorder occurs when fibrous tissue grows in the area behind the abdomen (retroperitoneal area). The fibers may grow due to cancers or may result from taking certain medicines used to treat migraine headaches. The fibers encircle and block the ureters, causing urine to back up into the kidneys. This condition usually affects people between ages 40 and 60, and affects men twice as often as women.