Urinary Tract Obstruction

Abstract

Urinary tract obstruction is a common major cause of acute and chronic renal insufficiency. Obstructive uropathy is a condition common to all age groups, even very early and late in life. Regardless of the age of obstruction, the renal response involves progressive tubular dilation, tubular atrophy, and interstitial fibrosis. Although urinary tract obstructions can develop entirely asymptomatically, it is more common, especially in chronic cases and in pediatric ages, for an obstruction to cause more or less evident signs and symptoms, particularly because most cases of obstructive uropathy that become clinically manifest are caused by a partial rather than a total obstruction of the urinary tract. In patients presenting with acute or chronic renal problems, it is always important to confirm or exclude an obstructive uropathy, given the frequency of this condition and because it is the most common cause of reversible renal insufficiency. It is always important to remove an obstruction in order to preserve renal function and prevent complications, one of the most important of which is infection.