Urology Study Notes

Unit 11 Urology: Combo Test

  • Terms from Orange Vocabulary List 1
  • Urology diagrams
  • Terms defined in Green Vocabulary List 2

Key Terms and Definitions

  • Glomerulonephritis: Complication following streptococcal or viral infection, causing antigen-antibody complexes to clog glomeruli, leading to kidney inflammation and decreased urine production. Treatment involves antibiotics, corticosteroids, and potentially dialysis.

  • Hydronephrosis: Kidney enlargement due to urine backflow caused by obstruction (stone or stricture) in the ureter. Caliectasis involves calix enlargement, while hydroureter affects only the ureter. Treatment requires removing the obstruction.

  • Nephrolithiasis: Kidney stone formation in the urinary system, varying in size and composed of magnesium, calcium, or uric acid crystals. Calculogenesis or lithogenesis refers to stone formation. Renal colic is caused by spasms due to stones scraping the mucosa, leading to severe pain, nausea, vomiting, and hematuria. Treatment includes analgesics, lithotripsy, or surgical procedures like stone basketing or nephrolithotomy.

  • Nephropathy: General term for kidney disease, such as diabetic nephropathy, involving glomeruli damage due to diabetes mellitus. Treatment focuses on managing the underlying cause.

  • Nephroptosis: Abnormally low kidney position, often an incidental finding, sometimes requiring surgery.

  • Nephrotic Syndrome: Glomeruli capillary damage, causing albumin leakage into urine, decreased blood protein, altered osmotic pressure, leading to edema and ascites. Treatment involves diuretics and addressing the underlying cause.

  • Polycystic Kidney Disease: Hereditary disease with cysts destroying nephrons, leading to kidney failure. Early stages may be asymptomatic; hypertension and enlarged kidneys are common signs. Treatment involves dialysis or kidney transplant.

  • Pyelonephritis: Inflammation and infection of kidney pelves, often from bacterial infection ascending from the bladder. Treatment: Antibiotics

  • Renal Cell Cancer: Carcinoma arising from nephron tubules. Wilms' tumor is kidney cancer in children from embryonic tissue. Treatment includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

  • Renal Failure: Decreased or absent urine production. Acute Renal Failure (ARF) is sudden, due to trauma, blood loss, or infection, causing acute tubular necrosis. Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) is gradual, from diabetes, hypertension, or glomerulonephritis, often asymptomatic until 80% function loss. End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is irreversible, requiring dialysis. Treatment involves addressing underlying cause and dialysis for ESRD.

  • Uremia: Excessive urea in the blood due to renal failure, leading to toxic levels and uremic frost on the skin. Treatment involves dialysis.

  • Bladder Cancer: Carcinoma of bladder lining, more common in older men; hematuria is a typical sign. Treatment includes TURBT, cystectomy, radiation, or intravesical chemotherapy.

  • Cystitis: Bladder inflammation or infection, often bacterial, ascending from the urethra. Interstitial cystitis is chronic with irritated mucosa and bleeding. Radiation cystitis is caused by radiation therapy. Treatment includes addressing the underlying cause, analgesics, and antispasmodics.

  • Cystocele: Hernia where bladder bulges into vagina or rectum, causing urine retention. Treatment involves surgical repair.

  • Neurogenic Bladder: Urinary retention from nerve damage, often from spinal cord injury or diseases like multiple sclerosis. Requires intermittent catheterization.

  • Overactive Bladder: Urinary urgency and frequency due to involuntary bladder contractions, potentially causing incontinence. Treatment involves medications.

  • Urinary Retention: Inability to empty the bladder due to obstruction, nerve damage, or medication side effects, leading to postvoid residual urine. Treatment focuses on addressing the cause.

  • Vesicovaginal Fistula: Abnormal passageway between bladder and vagina, causing continuous urine leakage. Treatment involves surgical correction.

  • Epispadias/Hypospadias: Congenital condition of abnormal urethral meatus location. Epispadias: Female urethral meatus near the clitoris, or male urethral meatus on the upper surface of the penis. Hypospadias: Male urethral meatus on the underside of the penis. Treatment is surgical (urethroplasty).

  • Urethritis: Urethra inflammation or infection. Gonococcal urethritis is from gonorrhea. Nongonococcal urethritis is from Chlamydia. Nonspecific urethritis is from bacteria, chemicals, or trauma. Treatment includes antibiotics.

  • Albuminuria: Albumin in urine, also called proteinuria, indicating kidney disease or preeclampsia in pregnancy. Treatment focuses on addressing underlying cause.

  • Anuria: Absence of urine production due to renal failure. Treatment: Diruetics or Dialysis

  • Bacteriuria: Bacteria in urine, indicating urinary tract infection. Treatment involves antibiotics.

  • Dysuria: Difficult or painful urination, often from kidney stones or cystitis. Treatment focuses on addressing underlying cause.

  • Enuresis: Involuntary urine release in those with bladder control, including nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting). Treatment may include ADH or psychological therapy.

  • Frequency: Frequent urination, often in small amounts, due to kidney stones, prostate enlargement, UTI, or overactive bladder. Treatment focuses on addressing underlying cause.

  • Glycosuria: Glucose in urine, indicating elevated blood sugar (diabetes mellitus). Treatment focuses on addressing underlying cause.

  • Hematuria: Blood in urine, either visible or microscopic, from kidney stones, cystitis, or bladder cancer. Treatment focuses on addressing underlying cause.

  • Hesitancy: Difficulty starting urine stream, with dribbling and decreased caliber, often from blockage or enlarged prostate. Treatment focuses on addressing underlying cause.

  • Hypokalemia: Decreased potassium in blood, often from diuretics. Treatment: Adjusting the diuretic.

  • Incontinence: Inability to voluntarily hold urine, due to spinal cord injury, surgery, or mental conditions. Treatment focuses on addressing underlying cause.

  • Ketonuria: Ketones in urine, produced when fat is metabolized due to lack of glucose, often in diabetes or malnutrition. Treatment focuses on addressing underlying cause.

  • Nocturia: Increased night-time urination frequency, often from cystitis, enlarged prostate, or decreased bladder capacity. Treatment focuses on addressing underlying cause.

  • Oliguria: Decreased urine production due to kidney failure; dehydration can cause temporary oliguria. Treatment focuses on addressing underlying cause.

  • Polyuria: Excessive urine production, from diabetes mellitus or insipidus. Treatment focuses on addressing underlying cause.

  • Pyuria: White blood cells (WBCs) in urine, indicating urinary tract infection. Treatment involves antibiotics.

  • Urgency: Strong urge to urinate with bladder pressure, due to obstruction or inflammation. Treatment focuses on addressing underlying cause.

  • Urinary Tract Infection (UTI): Infection in the urinary tract, often from E. coli bacteria. Urethritis: infection in urethra, Cystitis: bladder infection, Pyelonephritis: kidney infection. Prevention includes cranberry juice. Treatment involves antibiotics.

Laboratory and Diagnostic Procedures

  • Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN): Measures urea amount to monitor kidney function and disease progression, or nephrotoxicity.

  • Creatinine: Measures creatinine amount to monitor kidney function and disease progression, often with BUN.

  • Culture & Sensitivity (C&S): Identifies UTI-causing microorganisms and their antibiotic sensitivities by culturing urine.

  • Drug Screening: Detects illegal, addictive, or performance-enhancing drug use.

  • Leukocyte Esterase: Detects esterase (enzyme linked to leukocytes) for quick UTI diagnosis using a dipstick, followed by C&S testing.

  • 24-Hour Creatinine Clearance: Measures total creatinine