Signs and Symptoms of Ureteral Calculus

Condition analysis:
Thank you for sending in the query.

Interpretation of your report: The ureter is a pipe like organ which connects the kidneys and the bladder. It functions to drain the urine into the bladder.

As per the report, there is a stone in your ureter. It is located in the upper to middle portion of the ureter (this is judged by the fact that it is at the level of L4 vertebra).

The stone is blocking the passage of urine. This has caused the left kidney to swell up slightly due to the accumulation of urine. This is described medically as mild hydronephrosis. This is also responsible for the delayed excretion of contrast.

Treatment of the stone:
There are 2 options:
1) If the stone is less than 5 mm in size and there is no evidence of infection then we can wait for the stone to pass naturally. You can help this process by drinking lots of water. If there is pain then you can take analgesics under the supervision of a doctor.

2) If the stone is bigger or if there is evidence of infection or if the stone is not moving down in next 1-2 weeks, then you will need to see a urosurgeon. He/she will clinically evaluate you and decide if the stone needs to be removed by a process called ureteroscopy.

Instructions:
Signs and Symptoms of Ureteral Calculus: The clinical features may vary to some degree depending on the cause of the ureteral obstruction. Some of the common signs and symptoms include :

-- Abdominal pain typically to the sides (flanks) as described under kidney pain location.
-- Oliguria – reduced urine output
-- Hematuria – blood in the urine
-- Fever as an infection particularly of the kidney may arise
-- Swelling of the legs if the obstruction is bilateral which may be followed by generalized swelling in severe untreated cases.