Urinary System

azot/o

nitrogenous compounds

bacteri/o

bacteria

cyst/o

bladder

glomerul/o

glomerulus

gluc/o

glucose, sugar, sweetness

glucos/o

sugar, sweet, sweetness

glyc/o

sugar, sweet, sweetness

glycos/o

sugar, sweet, sweetness

keton/o

ketone bodies (acids and acetones)

lith/o

stone

meat/o

meatus, opening

nephr/o

kidney

noct/o

night

olig/o

deficiency

peritone/o

peritoneum

py/o

pus

pyel/o

renal pelvis

pelv/i

pelvis

ren/o

kidney

ur/o

urine

urin/o

urine

ureter/o

ureter

urethr/o

urethra

vesic/o

bladder

acute glomerulonephritis

Type of nephritis (kidney infection) in which the glomeruli are the key structures affected; also called acute nephritic syndrome.

bacterial cystitis

Inflammation of the bladder caused by bacterial infection, commonly coexisting with bacterial urethritis, both of which together constitute a UTI; sometimes referred to as a bladder infection.

chronic glomerulonephritis

Progressive condition in which the glomeruli suffer gradual destructive changes, with resulting loss of kidney function; also called chronic nephritis.

diabetic nephropathy

Kidney disease associated with diabetes that results in inflammation, degeneration, and sclerosis of the kidneys.

diuresis

Abnormal secretion of large amounts of urine.

end-stage renal disease (ESRD)

Final phase of kidney disease.

enuresis

Involuntary urination during sleep; also called bedwetting.

glucosuria, glycosuria

Sugar in the urine.

hydronephrosis

Condition in which the renal pelvis and calyces become distended and dilated and begin to atrophy due to urine outflow obstruction.

interstitial cystitis

Chronic inflammatory condition of the bladder lining not caused by infection or other identified pathology.

interstitial nephritis

Pathological changes in renal tissue that destroy nephrons and impair kidney function.

nephrotic syndrome

Uncommon disorder marked by massive proteinuria, edema, hypoalbuminemia (low blood albumin), hyperlipidemia (high blood lipids), and hypercoagulability (high tendency to form blood clots).

neurogenic bladder

Bladder dysfunction (retention, incontinence, or altered capacity) due to disease or injury of the central nervous system or certain peripheral nerves.

phimosis

Narrowing or stricture of the foreskin opening of the penis.

polycystic kidney disease (PKD)

Group of hereditary, progressive disorders in which cysts (small sacs of fluid) form in the kidneys, eventually destroying them.

pyelonephritis

Inflammation and infection caused by bacterial growth in the renal pelvis and kidney.

renal calculus

Small stone, composed of mineral salts, that may obstruct portions of the kidneys or a ureter; also called kidney stone.

renal colic

Severe, intermittent pain caused by spasms of the ureter.

renal failure

Acute or chronic failure of the kidneys to effectively eliminate fluids or wastes from the body

tubular necrosis

Renal failure caused by acute injury to the renal tubules.

uremia

Increased level of urea or other wastes in the blood.

urinary frequency

Need to urinate more often than normal.

urinary incontinence (UI)

Involuntary urine leakage upon physical stress, such as a cough or sneeze (stress incontinence), after failing to reach a toilet in time (functional incontinence) or directly following the strong urge to urinate (urge incontinence).

urinary retention

Inability to urinate.

urinary tract infection (UTI)

Inflammation and infection caused by bacterial growth in the urinary tract, usually the bladder (cystitis).

urinary urgency

Need to urinate immediately.

vesicoureteral reflux (VUR)

Abnormal flow of urine from the bladder back into the ureter.

Wilms tumor

Rapidly growing type of kidney cancer that most commonly affects children; also known as nephroblastoma or malignant neoplasm of kidney.

24-hour urine specimen

Total urine excreted over 24 hours, collected for analysis.

bladder ultrasound (bladder scan)

Noninvasive use of a portable ultrasound device to measure the amount of retained urine.

blood urea nitrogen (BUN)

Laboratory value used to measure kidney function, based on nitrogen levels in the blood.

culture and sensitivity (C&S)

Process of growing microorganisms and then exposing them to antimicrobial drugs to determine which ones kill them most effectively.

cystoscopy

Visual examination of the bladder lining with a cystoscope.

extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy

Procedure in which shock waves or sound waves crush stones in the kidneys or urinary tract.

hemodialysis

Filtration of wastes and fluid from blood while it passes through selectively permeable membranes; also called dialysis.

intravenous pyelogram (IVP)

X-ray examination of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder after injection of a contrast medium.

KUB

Radiological imaging (x-ray) of the abdomen, specifically the kidneys, ureters, and bladder.

peritoneal dialysis

Filtration of fluid and wastes from the blood using the lining of the patient’s peritoneal cavity as a dialyzing membrane.

serum creatinine

Laboratory value used to measure kidney function that is more specific than BUN.

urinalysis (UA)

Visual and microscopic analysis of a urine specimen.

urinary catheterization

Insertion of a tube into the bladder via the urethra to drain urine, obtain a urine specimen, or instill medication.

voiding cystourethrography (VCUG)

Radiological examination of the bladder and urethra during urination.