New Present: Uteropelvic Junction Obstruction

[strobers]

I got a great Christmas present this year. A new medical problem. Thanks Santa!

On November 4th I had to go to the emergency room due to major flank pain on my right side. The ER doc did a cat scan and he said I had a kidney stone. He prescribed me a few things, including pain pill. The next day I had no more recurring pain.

Last week the exact same thing happened, I went to the ER, the doc did a cat scan and said I had a kidney stone. The next day I had no more pain again.

Today I went in for a POV and it showed that I have a mild/moderate case of Uteropelvic Junction Obstruction. In other words my ureter, the section of the urinary tract that connects the kidney and the bladder, has some kind of obstruction right where it exits the kidney.

I've been researching this and it seems like it is mainly a congenital disease or caused by some kind of trauma. Neither applies to me because I have never had a problem with my kidney nor have I injured them in any way. A couple of articles I read mentioned inflammation as a cause.

Obviously, I have been dealing with inflammation for almost two years. Is it possible that it is spreading to some of my other organs via the pelvic area? Has anybody else had this problem? I know a lot of guys here have issues with IBS, Chron's, and other inflammatory conditions other than IC/CPPS.

I may try dealing with this issue by focusing on knocking down the inflammatory processes going on in my body to see if that helps. The only other alternative is surgery, which is something I really want to avoid as the the surgeries with the best outcomes, 95% success rate, still requires major convalescence and, due to scarring, possibly more surgery. No thanks.

S

[webslave]

UPJ obstruction is the ureter's equivalent to the "stricture" of the urethra, in a way, and strictures are usually dealt with surgically.

UPJ obstruction creates back pressure within the kidney and may lead to progressive renal (kidney) damage and deterioration. I wouldn't mess with it. Find an excellent surgeon, is my advice.

[Ralph]

UPJ obstructions are congenital and they range in severity. The ureter and renal pelvis develop separately in utero (as a fetus) and need to join together. If something happens during that developmental phase, an obstruction where they join can result. UPJ obstructions are in the spectrum of something called Multicystic Dysplastic Kidneys. UPJ obstructions are rather common and need to be treated if it causes pain, renal damage or recurrent infections. They can be treated with a stent and through a scope without open surgery.

Also, kidney stones typically cause pain only when they fall into the ureter. However, if they're big enough and/or cause repeated or chronic infections, they can hurt even sitting in the kidney. When you get a stone in the ureter, you'll know it. Not much else hurts as much as an ureteral stone.

[strobers]

UPJ obstructions are congenital and they range in severity. The ureter and renal pelvis develop separately in utero (as a fetus) and need to join together. If something happens during that developmental phase, an obstruction where they join can result. UPJ obstructions are in the spectrum of something called Multicystic Dysplastic Kidneys. UPJ obstructions are rather common and need to be treated if it causes pain, renal damage or recurrent infections. They can be treated with a stent and through a scope without open surgery.

Also, kidney stones typically cause pain only when they fall into the ureter. However, if they're big enough and/or cause repeated or chronic infections, they can hurt even sitting in the kidney. When you get a stone in the ureter, you'll know it. Not much else hurts as much as an ureteral stone.

Regarding what you stated about "congenital," that's just my point. I'm 46 years old and have never had this kind of problem. I have never had urinary infections or any kind of flank pain until this last November 4th. Why all of a sudden am I having this issue?

I've been looking all over the place to see the tie in to what I am already dealing with. The doctor stated that my IC/CPPS has nothing to do with the UPJ. They are two different issues. Yet, they are part of the same urinary system.

This is a rhetorical question, but anybody is free to answer it. Could there be a tie-in between this issue and my IC/CPPS?

[webslave]

Unlikely. Would a mouth ulcer be connected somehow to a haemorrhoid? Both are part of the alimentary canal. If there were some connection, a lot of men here would have other problems in the genito-urinary system, and they don't.

[Ralph]

I also think it's unlikely the problems are related.


It's not unusual to find a UPJ obstrution (or partial mild obstruction which would be more likely) until later in life. They are usually completely asymptomatic until an infection sets in or you start forming stones. Sometimes people will reveal that they've often had vague flank pain throughout their lives but just thought they were "normal" kinds of pains. UPJs are a seperate problem from CPPS. I'm convinced that chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome is a myoneuropathy that requires a life changing event in order to improve. UPJs are completely different.