Published online January 4, 2006
PEDIATRICS Vol. 117 No. 1 January 2006, pp. 139-146 (doi:10.1542/10.1542/peds.2005-0583)

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tsai, J.-D. Articles by Chang, P.-Y. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Tsai, J.-D. Articles by Chang, P.-Y. Related Collections Genitourinary Tract Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

ARTICLE

Intermittent Hydronephrosis Secondary to Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction: Clinical and Imaging Features

Jeng-Daw Tsai, MD^a,b, Fu-Yuan Huang, MD^a,b, Chun-Chen Lin, MD^a, Tsuen-Chiuan Tsai, MD^a, Hung-Chang Lee, MD^a,b, Jin-Cherng Sheu, MD^c and Pei-Yeh Chang, MD^d

^a Departments of Pediatrics
^c Pediatric Surgery, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
^b Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
^d Department of Pediatric Surgery, Chang Gung Children's Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan

OBJECTIVE. We sought to assess the clinical and imaging findings in intermittent hydronephrosis secondary to ureteropelvic junction obstruction, with particular emphasis on the characteristic ultrasonographic findings.

METHODS. This prospective, longitudinal, observational study included all children who had intermittent ureteropelvic junction obstruction and presented with abdominal pain over 6 years. Renal ultrasound was used as an initial screening tool to detect intermittent hydronephrosis. Renal ultrasonography was repeated every 1 to 2 days to record serial changes from the symptomatic to the asymptomatic stage. Their clinical manifestations and imaging findings were studied.

RESULTS. Eighteen patients (14 boys, 4 girls) were studied. Most had sharp pain that began acutely and typically lasted for <2 days. Most of the children (16 of 18) had nausea and vomiting that accompanied the pain. The acute episode generally resolved spontaneously and was followed by a pain-free interval that ranged from days to months. Factors that predisposed to an attack included increased water intake, vigorous exercise, or bladder distention. All patients had clearly demonstrable obstruction of the renal pelvis during an acute attack, a finding that diminished or resolved during the symptom-free intervals. During convalescence, all patients had renal pelvic wall thickening on ultrasonography. This finding appeared on the second or third day after a painful episode subsided, persisted for 6 to 9 days, and then disappeared in the symptom-free stage. Pyeloplasty was performed in 17 patients, none of whom had recurrent pain on follow-up. Extrinsic obstructions were found in 9 patients.

CONCLUSIONS. The keys to diagnosis are awareness of the syndrome, a detailed history, and immediate and serial imaging studies during painful crises. A thickened renal pelvic wall during convalescence is an important ultrasonic sign of intermittent hydronephrosis.

---

Key Words: intermittent hydronephrosis • ureteropelvic junction obstruction • prospective studies • renal ultrasonography • renal pelvic wall thickening • convalescence • intravenous pyelogram • diuretic renal scan • computed tomography • dismembered pyeloplasty • follow-up

Abbreviations: UPJO—ureteropelvic junction obstruction • IVP—intravenous pyelogram • VCUG—voiding cystourethrography • CT—computed tomography • DTPA—diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid

---

Accepted Jun 20, 2005.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?