The kidneys play the role of a biological filter that ensures consistency in the body. It is the functioning of the kidneys that contributes to the removal of metabolic products, and also allows you to achieve balance in the organs. So, in an adult, about 2000 liters of blood passes through the kidneys every day, which form about 2 liters of secondary urine.
Of course, in the situation with children, these figures are smaller, and they change depending on age. In children, pyelectasis according to ICD-10 has the Q63 code, in most cases it is congenital, since the kidneys are laid at 2 months of intrauterine development.
Reasons
This kidney disease is caused by:
- narrowing of the ureter;
- malformations of renal vessels;
- metabolic disorders;
- abnormal development of the organs of the urinary system.
The above kidney problems occur at different stages of fetal development during pregnancy.
Risk factors
Risk factors are:
- uncontrolled medication;
- irradiation (even when treating benign lesions);
- intrauterine infection;
- living in areas with an unfavorable ecological situation;
- ureter injury;
- bad habits.
The sooner an adverse factor that has a detrimental effect on the formation of a child's kidneys is eliminated, the more invisible its consequences will be.
The most dangerous malformations are possible in early pregnancy, at the beginning of embryogenesis. To detect deviations, it is recommended to conduct an ultrasound in time. Acquired pyelectasis occurs mainly during the first or second year of life.
Symptomatics
Initially, pyeloectasia can be completely asymptomatic. In particular, this occurs when only one of the kidneys is involved in the disease process, since a he althy kidney experiences an excessive load, performing its functions and working for a weakened organ. More pronounced signs may indicate the development of a bilateral process of pyelectasis.
Symptoms in newborns
External manifestations of the expansion of the pelvis may vary depending on the age of the patient. Basically, the disease affects young children and adult men. Newborn babies have non-specific symptoms:
- frequent crying;
- capriciousness;
- temperature;
- loss of appetite;
- changing behavior;
- vomit;
- reduced activity;
- diarrhea;
- pallor;
- apathy.
Symptoms in preschoolers
When pyelectasis children are usually worried about pain in the back, in the groin and abdomen, the pain can periodically appear, then weaken. A common manifestation of this disease is the presence of pus in the urine, which is expressed in its turbidity. Quite often the single volume of the allocated urine changes. So, in children, this condition can be detected by parents, but older people can usually ignore this symptom.
Some time after the developing disease, the patient may experience intoxication of the body, as a result of which the child may experience nausea, general malaise, and also refuse food.
In men, the ureter can prolapse into the urethra, and in women, into the vagina. The mouth of the ureter narrows, a cystic and spherical protrusion of the intravesical section in the ureter is formed. Urine from the cavity through the ureter returns back to the kidney. Dilation of the ureter may also occur, accompanied by malfunctioning of the urinary organs.
Ultrasound for pyeloectasia
During the period of scheduled diagnostics, starting from the 17th week of pregnancy, pyeloectasia of the unborn baby is detected. Hydronephrosis and pyelectasis are detected using plain abdominal or renal ultrasound. In addition, radiopaque examinations (urography, cystography) can be performed. The volume of the pelvis should not change after urination. When diagnosing a disease, it is important to do an ultrasoundafter the baby is born.
Due to the physical differences in the structure of the genitourinary system, congenital pyeloectasia is more common in boys than in girls, but it resolves sooner. Therapy is not required. To fully control the dynamics of the expansion of the pelvis, ultrasound is done four times a year. Anatomically, the kidney with pyelectasis in a child on the left is slightly larger and is higher - this is important when reading the conclusion of the diagnosis.
Urolithiasis also requires ultrasound, kidney x-ray, computed tomography and other methods to detect a clear localization of stones and track their movement. The final diagnosis is established by a pediatrician or urologist based on the conclusion of an ultrasound specialist.
The main way to reveal pyelectasis of the kidneys is research. For the first time, such a violation can manifest itself even during the period of intrauterine formation. Already after the birth of children, the study should be carried out every 2-3 months up to 1 year, and after that - 1 time in six months. In addition to ultrasound, it is recommended to periodically take a urine test (general, according to Nechiporenko, etc.).
When pyeloectasia of the kidneys during ultrasound, the following results of this pathology are revealed:
- megaureter – ureter enlargement;
- urethrocele - the ureter sinks into the bladder, swells in the form of a bubble, and access to it narrows;
- vesicoureteral reflux - the flow of urine in the other direction;
- hydronephrosis –accompanied by expansion of the pelvis, and the duct remains compressed;
- ectopic ureter - the duct plunges into the urethra in guys, and into the vagina in girls;
- presence of posterior urethral valves results in bilateral pyelectasis and dilatation of the ureters.
When indicators of disease progression are detected, the following additional methods of study are prescribed: cystography, excretory urography, CT of the kidneys.
Medicated treatment
Bilateral pyelectasis in a child is a pathological condition of the organs responsible for excretion of urine, which leads to an increase in the pelvis. This condition is mainly diagnosed in children and men, due to the physiological characteristics of their genitourinary system.
Pyeloectasia of the kidneys, depending on the location, degree of damage and performance of the excretory system, involves the use of the method of waiting, surgery (in very severe cases), as well as drug treatment. For example, if pyelectasis is found in a newborn or in a child under 3 years old, the urologist recommends waiting, subject to constant examinations and ultrasound. The same tactic can be applied to an adult who has the first degree of the disease.
Drugs
In case of pathology that was provoked by inflammation or infection, the use of conservative treatment of pyeloectasia in children is recommended, for which the use of antibiotic therapy is indicated. Along with antibioticsthe patient is prescribed a complex of minerals and vitamins, as well as immunostimulants, which make it possible to maintain immunity and increase the body's defenses.
Also, to get rid of bilateral pyelectasis in children, probiotics are used to help restore and protect the intestinal microflora from the effects of antibiotics. In the event that the hepatic pelvis has expanded from increased blood pressure in the urinary system, the urologist may prescribe the use of myotropic antispasmodics. They relax the muscles of the excretory system.
If stones form in the kidneys, which can contribute to the obstruction of the outflow of urine, the treatment should be to crush them and remove them. Mostly used "Fitolysin", "Canephron", etc.
Folk treatment
Enlargement of the pelvis of the kidneys in a child is a rather rare pathology that does not occur for no reason. It is noteworthy that this pathology is not always considered a disease, usually pyelectasis is the result of a functional disorder, without a pathological cause. But if a pathology is detected in a child, it is necessary to conduct an additional examination as soon as possible and be under the supervision of a doctor.
Traditional medicine offers quite a few recipes that help to effectively remove all the symptoms of pyelectasis of the right kidney in a child. They also help with diseases of the left kidney. The principle of their action is based on the removal of stones, sand and s alts from the urinary system. In addition, they normalize the workorgans and suppress the inflammatory process.
Effective Recipes
For the treatment of a child with pyeloectasia of the left kidney (and right), the following recipes are used:
- Infusion of juniper fruits, birch buds, dandelion roots: take 1 tbsp. l. well crushed raw materials of each plant, put in a thermos and pour 1 liter of boiling water. After 12 hours, the broth is filtered and taken at 0.5 tbsp. three times a day.
- Infusion of adonis, oats, horsetail and nettle: as in the previous version, a mixture of all ingredients is taken, also poured with boiling water, infused for 12 hours and taken 4 times a day, 50 ml each.
- Knotweed infusion: This drink is recommended to be prepared for the child daily. For its preparation 1, 5 tbsp. l. herbs need to pour 1 tbsp. boiling water and leave for 2 hours. The strained drink is taken in small sips throughout the day.
- Vitamin infusion of wild rose: a handful of fruits is poured into a thermos and poured 2 liters of hot water. The infusion must be kept for 2 hours and taken a little every day, until the condition is completely normalized. You can add quite a bit of honey to the infusion to improve its taste. Also, with pyelectasis, it is useful to drink infusions of blackcurrant, cranberry and lingonberry.
- Infusion of dye madder for pyeloectasia in a child on the right or left: it is necessary to grind the roots of the plant well, add 1 tbsp. l. plants in a saucepan and pour 1 tbsp. hot water. The prepared solution must be brought to a boil, boil for about 7 minutes over low heat. Then the broth is cooled, filtered and takenbefore meals, 50 ml. It is important to remember that this folk remedy can color a child's urine red - you should not be afraid of this!
The duration of treatment must be agreed with the doctor, especially when it comes to a child. Surgery may be required when indicated.
Surgery
Pyeloectasia of the kidneys in children under one year old is a rather serious pathological process, during the development of which the child has an increase in the size of her pelvis. A mild form of this disease can go away on its own after the maturation of the child's urinary system.
Surgical intervention can usually be prescribed in case of bilateral pyelectasis or unilateral if there is a severe form of the disease. The main objective of the operation is to restore the patency of the urethra, which allows you to get a normal outflow of urine. Usually, surgery is not traumatic and not complicated, it is performed endoscopically, without extensive incisions.
If surgery for pyelectasis in a child on the right or left is performed immediately after the discovery of the disease, there is still a risk of recurrence in the future, but such cases have been few. It occurs in children up to the age of 5-7 years. At the time of recurrence, pyelectasis manifests itself in a milder form, and it is not necessary to repeat the operation.
In general, with pyelectasis, the prognosis after surgery in children is favorable, and if an operation is still required, be afraid of itnot worth it - it will bring the body back to normal, and also prevent the development of more serious complications and diseases.
Prevention
In order for a disease such as pyelectasis not to develop either in children after their birth or in adults, the necessary preventive measures must be observed:
- Do not neglect personal hygiene.
- Prevent various infectious processes in the kidneys in advance.
- Eat right and follow a mineral diet.
- Prevent the occurrence of urolithiasis: drink well, take diuretics.
Other methods
To prevent the development of urolithiasis, effectively cleanse the kidneys with watermelon. Such purification must be carried out at least once a year, at the very time when the watermelon ripens. This is an excellent diuretic that effectively removes not only sand from the kidneys, but also small stones along with the urine stream.
For the prevention of this disease, it is recommended to resort to traditional medicine. Drugs also give a diuretic effect, remove sand with stones from the kidneys and help treat chronic processes in any body, restore the normal functioning of the kidneys. It is worth noting that folk remedies will be safer, unlike medicines, not only for adults, but also for very tiny children.
