Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison	Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z

Female urinary tract	Male urinary tract	Voiding cystourethrogram	Vesicoureteral reflux

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Overview	Symptoms	Treatment	Prevention

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Reflux nephropathy

Alternative Names

Chronic atrophic pyelonephritis; Vesico-ureteric reflux; Nephropathy - reflux; Ureteral reflux

Symptoms

• Repeated urinary tract infections in a female
• A single urinary tract infection in a male
• Flank pain, back pain, or abdominal pain
• Urinary frequency/urgency increased
• Need to urinate at night
• Burning or stinging with urination
• Feeling of incomplete emptying of the bladder
• Blood in the urine
• Dark or foamy urine

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease include the following:

• Urinary hesitancy
• Nausea and vomiting
• Nail abnormalities
• Fever
• Chills

Note: The disorder may not cause symptoms.

Exams and Tests

Theblood pressure may be elevated, and there may be signs and symptoms of chronic renal failure.

Other tests include:

• Kidney ultrasound
• Serum BUN
• Serum creatinine
• Creatinine clearance
• Urinalysis or 24-hour urine studies that show elevated urine protein levels
• Urine culture that shows infection.
• Radionuclide cystogram may show vesicoureteric reflux or hydronephrosis (distention of the kidney from fluid accumulation in the renal pelvis)
• IVP that shows hydronephrosis, a small kidney, or scarring of the kidney
• Abdominal CT scan or ultrasound of the kidneys or abdomen that shows hydronephrosis, reflux, a small kidney, or scarring.
• A voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) definitively diagnoses vesicoureteric reflux

Review Date: 10/17/2003
Reviewed By: Irfan A. Agha, M.D., Department of Medicine, Renal Division, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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