Pyelectasis and Pelviectasis
Pyelectasis, or pelviectasis, is when urine gathers in the center of the kidney, called the pelvis. This makes the kidney larger than normal. This condition can affect one or both kidneys.
What causes renal Pelviectasis?
The most common causes of pyelectasis are: Ureteropelvic junction obstruction: A blockage of urine between the kidneys and the ureter. Vesicoureteral reflux: An abnormal flow of urine from the bladder to the kidneys.
Is Pelviectasis serious?
It is also possible that one of the baby’s kidneys may be normal but simply larger than average. If the enlargement is due to pelviectasis, it is a medical concern; but sometimes a larger-than-average kidney may simply be a normal variable — a factor of a person’s family genetics.
Is Mild Pelviectasis serious?
Mild pyelectasis is a common and usually benign finding (see Fig. 33.6). In some cases, however, it may be secondary to vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) or obstruction. Prenatal ultrasound follow-up should be performed to ensure that the dilation does not increase with gestation.
How is pyelectasis treated?
Pyelectasis will resolve spontaneously more than 90 percent of the time. If the blockage is more severe, your baby may need follow-up care and possibly surgery after delivery. If the obstruction is more severe, urine may back-up and collect in the kidneys. This is called hydronephrosis.
What is minimal Pelviectasis?
Mild dilatation of this renal pelvis, also called pyelectasis or pelviectasis is defined as a measurement between 4mm and 10mm in the second trimester. There can be confusion about the significance of this finding and what to do when it is found.
How common is renal pyelectasis?
Approximately 1 in every 40 pregnancies have pyelectasis, and this can be seen in one or both of the kidneys. Pyelectasis can be seen in any pregnancy, but is more common in boys.
What is pyelectasis on ultrasound?
Fetal pyelectasis is assessed as an AP measurement of the renal pelves on an axial plane ultrasound image. According to the Society of Fetal Urology (SFU) consensus15, fetal pyelectasis is considered present if the anterior to posterior diameter of the renal pelvis measures: >4 mm up to 28 weeks.
Is pyelectasis hereditary?
Pyelectasis and Down Syndrome Risk
Down syndrome is the most common type of chromosome abnormality in liveborn children. It is caused by an extra copy of chromosome #21. Chromosome abnormalities involving a missing or extra chromosome are usually not inherited and are not caused by an exposure during pregnancy.
Is pyelectasis something to worry about?
Pyelectasis or mild hydronephrosis will likely have little or no effect on your baby. Most babies with this condition do very well. Very rarely, a baby will have severe bilateral hydronephrosis or an extremely distended or filled bladder and insufficient amniotic fluid.
Why is pyelectasis more common in males?
Objective: Several studies have noted an increased prevalence of pyelectasis in male fetuses. It is speculated that pyelectasis represents a normal physiologic variant in males, whereas its presence in females indicates an increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities.
What is the normal size of renal pelvis?
The usual measurement of the renal pelvis is between 0 to 7 mm before 24 weeks and less than 10 mm after 28 weeks. If the measurement is more than this at either of these stages in the pregnancy, the widening or enlargement of the renal pelvis is called RPD.
What causes fluid in baby’s kidneys?
A kidney may swell if your baby’s ureter is blocked and urine can’t flow from the kidney to the bladder. Or your baby’s kidney may swell if urine that’s already in the bladder flows back up into the kidney.
What is mild bilateral Pelviectasis?
Fetal mild bilateral pyelectasis with no calyceal dilatation is a benign condition that can be managed in the postnatal period. The initial renal pelvis diameter and the diameter in week 31 or 35 were valuable parameters for identifying cases that would eventually need specific postnatal procedures.
What causes renal Pelviectasis in fetus?
Renal pelvicalyceal dilatation is caused by urine retention in the upper urinary tract. It is referred to as pyelectasis in medical literature. This term does not indicate the cause that leads to the dilatation of and urine retention in the renal pelvicalyceal system.
What is the normal size of renal pelvis?
The usual measurement of the renal pelvis is between 0 to 7 mm before 24 weeks and less than 10 mm after 28 weeks. If the measurement is more than this at either of these stages in the pregnancy, the widening or enlargement of the renal pelvis is called RPD.
What is the risk of Down syndrome with fetal pyelectasis?
We evaluated the performance of isolated fetal pyelectasis as a soft marker for trisomy 21. In this study, isolated fetal pyelectasis more than doubled the odds of trisomy 21 from maternal serum screening tests, with a pooled positive likelihood ratio of 2.78 (95% CI, 1.75–4.43).
