Hydronephrosis and pyelonephritis are two kidney diseases that affect the kidney function. Kidney conditions affect the ability of the body to clean the blood, filter extra water out of the blood, and control blood pressure. They can also alter blood cell production and vitamin D metabolism.
The key difference between hydronephrosis and pyelonephritis is their nature. Hydronephrosis causes kidney swelling due to the buildup of urine from urinary obstruction, while pyelonephritis causes kidney infection due to bacteria or viruses originating in the urinary tract.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Hydronephrosis
3. What is Pyelonephritis
4. Similarities – Hydronephrosis and Pyelonephritis
5. Hydronephrosis vs Pyelonephritis in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Hydronephrosis vs Pyelonephritis
7. FAQ – Hydronephrosis and Pyelonephritis
What is Hydronephrosis?
Hydronephrosis is a condition where one or both kidneys become stretched and swollen due to the buildup of urine inside them. Hydronephrosis in babies can be caused by an increase in the amount of urine the baby produces in the later stages of pregnancy. In adults, hydronephrosis can be caused by kidney stones, pregnancy, narrowing of the ureters, an enlarged prostate gland in men, or certain types of cancer, including bladder cancer, kidney cancer, prostate cancer, or ovarian cancer.
Moreover, symptoms of hydronephrosis include pain in the back or side, needing to urinate more often, pain or a burning sensation while urinating, feeling tired and unwell, blood in the urine, decreased urine frequency, or a weak urine stream.
Figure 01: Hydronephrosis
Hydronephrosis can be diagnosed through physical symptoms evaluation and ultrasound scan. Furthermore, treatment options for hydronephrosis include draining the urine out of the kidneys by inserting a catheter into the bladder or kidneys, managing underlying conditions like removing kidney stones by operation or breaking them using sound waves, a surgery for enlarge prostate, blockages in the ureters, and chemotherapyor radiotherapy for cancers.
What is Pyelonephritis?
Pyelonephritis is a kidney infection when bacteria or viruses cause problems in one or both of the kidneys. Pyelonephritis is a type of urinary tract infection. The symptoms of pyelonephritis include dark, cloudy, or bloody urine, urine that smells bad, fever and chills, loss of appetite, needing to urinate a lot, feeling pain while urinating, pain in the lower back, side, or groin, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, confusion, jumbled speech, and hallucinations. Moreover, bacteria called Escherichia coli are most often the main cause of pyelonephritis.
Figure 02: Pyelonephritis
Pyelonephritis can be diagnosed through physical symptoms evaluation, urine test, ultrasound, MRI, CT scan, and voiding cystourethrogram. Furthermore, treatment options for pyelonephritis are antibiotics such as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ceftriaxone or cephalexin, amoxicillin or augmentin, and surgery for problems with the shape of the urinary tract.
Similarities Between Hydronephrosis and Pyelonephritis
- Hydronephrosis and pyelonephritis are two kidney diseases that affect the kidney function.
- Both conditions can cause complications.
- Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical symptoms evaluation and imaging tests like ultrasound.
- They can be treated with specific medications and surgeries.
Difference Between Hydronephrosis and Pyelonephritis
Definition
- Hydronephrosis is a condition where one or both kidneys swell due to urine that does not fully empty from the body.
- Pyelonephritis is a sudden and severe kidney infection.
Causes
- Hydronephrosis is caused by urine buildup due to urinary tract obstruction by kidney stones, pregnancy, enlarged prostate gland, narrowing of the ureters, and some types of cancers.
- Pyelonephritis is caused by bacteria called Escherichia coli.
Symptoms
- Symptoms of hydronephrosis include sudden or intense pain in the sides, abdomen, or back, nausea, vomiting, painful urination, blood in the urine, being unable to complete the bladder completely, and peeing less than usual.
- Symptoms of pyelonephritis include fever, pain in the abdomen, backside, or groin, painful or burning urination, cloudy urine, pus or blood in the urine, urgent or frequent urination, and fishy-smelling urine.
Diagnosis
- Hydronephrosis can be diagnosed by physical examination, urine test, blood test, ultrasound, MRI and CT scan.
- Pyelonephritis can be diagnosed by physical examination, urine test, Ultrasound, CT scan, and dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) test.
Treatment
- Hydronephrosis can be treated by ureteral stent, shock wave therapy, ureteroscopy, and surgery.
- Pyelonephritis can be treated by antibiotics such as levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, co-trimoxazole, ampicillin, and surgery for anatomical defects.
The following table summarizes the difference between hydronephrosis and pyelonephritis.
Summary – Hydronephrosis vs Pyelonephritis
Hydronephrosis and pyelonephritis are two kidney diseases that alter kidney function. Hydronephrosis can also trigger pyelonephritis later ages of the life. However,hydronephrosis is when the kidneys swell because the body can’t release all of its urine due to urinary obstruction while pyelonephritis is inflammation of the kidney due to a bacterial or viral infection. This is the basic difference between hydronephrosis and pyelonephritis.
FAQ: Hydronephrosis and Pyelonephritis
1. What is the main cause of hydronephrosis?
- Hydronephrosis is normally caused by a blockage in the urinary tract or something disrupting the normal workings of the urinary tract, such as kidney stones, pregnancy, enlarged prostate gland, narrowing of the ureters, and some types of cancers like kidney cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer or ovarian cancer.
2. What is the best treatment for hydronephrosis?
- The best treatments for hydronephrosis include draining the urine out of the kidneys by inserting a tube called a catheter into the bladder or kidneys, shock wave therapy for kidney stones, ureteroscopy, surgery for enlarged prostate and blockages in the ureters, and chemotherapy or radiotherapy for cancers.
3. What is the main cause of pyelonephritis?
- Kidney infections are caused by bacteria or viruses. Bacteria called Escherichia coli is the main cause of pyelonephritis. It is believed that most kidney infections start as a bladder infection that moves upstream and infect one or both of the kidneys.
4. What are the long-term effects of pyelonephritis?
- The complications of pyelonephritis are kidney scarring, blood poisoning, pregnancy complications (having a baby with a low birth weight), kidney disease, high blood pressure, kidney failure, and sepsis.
5. What are the main symptoms of pyelonephritis?
- The symptoms of pyelonephritis usually include chills, fever, pain in the back, side, or groin, nausea, vomiting, cloudy, dark, bloody, or foul-smelling urine, and frequent, painful urination.
Reference:
1. “Hydronephrosis – Causes.” NHS Choices, NHS.
2. “Kidney Infection (Pyelonephritis).” Cleveland Clinic.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Hydronephrosis” By James Heilman, MD – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Depiction of a man suffering from a Kidney Infection” By Myupchar.com (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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