Megaureter

A condition in which a part of the ureter becomes very wide, above the site of a blockage.

Gross dilation of the ureter. This occurs above the site of a longstanding obstruction in the ureter, which blocks the free flow of urine from the kidney. A common cause of megaureter is reflux of urine from the bladder into the ureters, but some of the most striking examples are found in so-called idiopathic megaureter. In this condition, which may affect one or both ureters, there is a segment of normal ureter of varying length at the extreme lower end of the bladder, above which the ureter is enormously dilated. Both reflux and idiopathic megaureter progress to urinary infection and/or renal impairment. Treatment is by corrective surgery.

Megaureter refers to the significant enlargement of a ureter, the tube responsible for transporting urine from the kidneys to the bladder. One potential reason for this could be a persistent obstruction in the ureter hindering urine flow. Another possibility is the urine flowing back from the bladder into the ureters during bladder emptying. Sometimes, this condition is congenital, meaning it’s present from birth, and its cause remains unidentified.