Urinary System

calcul/o

stone

cali/o

calyx

cyst/o

cyst; fluid sac; bladder

glomerul/o

glomerulus

glyc/o, glycos/o

sugar; glucose

lith/o

stone; calculus

meat/o

meatus

nephr/o

kidney

noct/o

night

olig/o

scanty (very small)

peritone/o

peritoneum

py/o

pus

pyel/o

renal pelvis

ren/o

kidney

trigon/o

trigone

ur/o

urine; urinary tract

ureter/o

ureter

urethr/o

urethra

urin/o

urine

vesic/o

urinary bladder

a-, an-

not; without

dia-

complete, through

dys-

painful; difficult

hyper-

above; above normal; excessive

inter-

between

poly-

many; much

-al, -ary, -eal, -ic, -ous

pertaining to

-cele

hernia; swelling; protrusion

-gram

record; image

-iasis

abnormal condition

-lysis

breakdown; separation; loosening

-pexy

surgical fixation

-poietin

substance that forms

-sclerosis

hardening; thickening

-stitial

pertaining to standing or positioned

-tripsy

crushing

-uria

urination; condition of urine

-us

structure; tissue; thing

Anuria

Absence of urine production

Diuresis

Abnormal increase in production of urine

Dysuria

Difficult or painful urination

Enuresis

Involuntary discharge of urine

Glycosuria

Condition in which carbohydrates or sugars are excreted in the urine

Hematuria

Condition in which blood or blood cells are excreted in the urine

Nocturnal enuresis

Involuntary discharge of urine that occurs during sleep; bed wetting

Oliguria

Condition in which a scanty amount of urine is produced

Polyuria

Condition of excessing urine production

Urinary incontinence

Loss of voluntary control over the discharge of urine from the bladder; aslo called incontinence

Urinary retention

Inability to completely empty the bladder due to a urethral blockage or a neurological disorder

Urinary urgency

Sudden, compelling urge to urinate. May be associated with multiple disorders and also tends to increase with age

Cystitis

Inflammation of the bladder

Cystocele

Herniation of the bladder through the vaginal wall in females

Cystolithiasis

Calculi of the urinary bladder; bladder stones

Diabetes

A condition characterized by excessive amounts of urine

Diabetes insipidus (DI)

A condition caused by inadequate secretion of, or resistance of the kidney to, the action of ADH. Characterized by polydipsia and polyuria.

Diabetes mellitius (DM)

A condition characterized by inadequate secretion or improper utilization of insulin. Symptoms: glycosuria, hyperglycemia, polydipsia, polyuria

glomerularnephritis

Inflammation of the glomeruli in the kidney

interstitial cystitis

chronic inflammation of the bladder wall

nephritic syndrome

Group of clinical signs and symptoms, present in some disorders, that cause glmoerulonephritis; marked by blood and protein in the urine and by edema in various parts of the body

nephrolithiasis

Renal caliculi; kidney stones

nephroscelerosis

A disease in which the arteriole walls in the kidneys become narrowed and thickened; often due to essential HTN; may lead to renal ischemia

phenylketonuria (PKU)

An inherited disorder that causes increased blood levels of phenylalanine, an amino acid found in protein. Buildup of phenylanine can lead to developmental delays and intellectual disability. Signaled by phenylketones in the urine.

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD)

Disease characterized by the development of cysts in the kidney, leading to an enlargment and impaired function of the kidney

pyelonephritis

Inflammation of the lining of the renal pelvis and the functional tissue of the kidney

renal cell carcinoma

Cancerous tumor of the kidney that occurs in adulthood; hypernephroma

renal failure

Condition in which kidney disease or damage results in impaired filtration of waste products from the blood

renal hypertension

High blood pressure resulting from kidney disease

Renal ischemia

A condition in which blood flow to the glomerulus severely decreases, resulting in atrophy and scarring of the kidney tissue; often a result of nephrosclerosis

Urinary tract infection

Entrance of bacteria into the urinary tract through the urethra. Symptoms: pain, dysuria, fever, fatigue, urgency; lower back pain; flank pain. Frequently leads to sepsis.

Vesicovaginal fistula

Abnormal opening between the bladder and vagina, often resulting from tissue damage, characterized by urinary or fecal incontinence.

Wilms tumor

Malignant tumor of the kidney that occurs in childhood

Biopsy

The removal of a small piece of living tissue for microscopic examination

Excisional biopsy

Surgical removal of an entire lesion or tumor.

Needle biopsy

Biopsy procedure in which a hallow needle is used to remove a core sample of tissue for microscopic examination.

Cystoscopy

Visual examinatio of the urinary bladder using a cystoscope. A thin, hollow flexible metal tube is passed through the urinary meatus and urethra into the bladder. Physicians can pass cameras, mirrors and instruments through the tube, enabling them to examine, treat, and/or remove tumors, calculi, or inflamed tissue.

Kidneys, ureters, and bladder (KUB) x-ray

X-ray or the kidneys, ureters, and bladder

Blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio

BUN

BUN

A test that measures blood levels of urea and creatinine.

Urea

Waste product that the liver produces when it breaks down proteins in the body.

Creatinine

Waste product produced during muscle metabolism.

Creatinine clearance

Test that estimates glomerular filtration rate (GFR)

GFR

Glomerular filtration rate meauring how well the glomeruli are functioning

Urinalysis (UA)

Examination of the urine for the presence of abnormal elements that may indicate a pathological condition.

Urine color

Yellow, Amber, Straw-colored

pH

Normal urine pH 5.0-6.5 (slightly acidic)

Protein

Absence of protein in the urine is normal, yet small amounts could be present and considered normal.

Ketones

Ketones, or acetones, are a product of fat catabolism. Negative is normal.

Occult hematuria

Checks for the presence of RBC's in urine. Blood-free urine is normal.

Leukocytes

Checks for the presence of WBC's in urine. Indicates bacterial infection.

Nitrates

The presence of nitrates, a chemical compound produced by bacteria, indicates a UTI

Bilirubin

Yellow pigment manufactured by the liver and found in bile. The presence of bilirubin in the urine is a positive of liver or gallbladder disease.

Specific gravity

Measures the concentration of minerals, solids, and wastes compared to water in the urine. A good indicator for dehydration.

Microscopic

Checks for the presence of abnormal cells, bacteria, parasites, and crystals.

Dipstick urinalysis

A type of urinalysis that is used to screen for chemical changes.

Dialysis

Artificial method by which waste materials are removed from the blood after kidney failure.

Hemodialysis

Procedure where a machine receives waste-filled blood from the patients blood stream, filters the blood, and then returns the cleansed blood to the patients body.

Peritoneal dialysis

Procedure where a catheter is inserted into the peritoneum and a solution called dialysate is introduced into the peritoneal cavity. The fluid removes wastes from the blood through the peritoneal capillaries. The waste-filled fluid is removed via the catheter.

Diuretic

Drug that increases urine output.

Lithotripsy

Procedure in which high-energy shock waves are used to break up stones in the kidney, bladder, or ureter into smaller pieces, allowing the stones to pass naturally from the body.

Kidney transplant

Surgical procedure in which a kidney is removed from a live or deceased donor and implanted into a patient with renal failure.