Diagnosis And Management Of Upper Urinary Tract Obstruction Caused By Retroperitoneal Fibrosis

Purpose: To discuss the clinical characteristics of retroperitoneal fibrosis for making moreaccurate diagnosis and effective management of the disease.Methods: We have studied 5 cases of upper urinary tract obstruction caused by retroperitonealfibrosis from Nov 1998 to Sep 2005 retrospectively. Of them, four idiopathic patients receivedureterolysis plus the transfer of ureters to the peritoneal cavity, and then administeredcorticosteroids postoperatively. The other one was secondary to cervical carcinoma, and got onlyureterolysis and the catheterization of D-J stents.Results: Following up from 6 to 38 months respectively, four idiopathic ones' renal function wasimproved even normalized. And the ranges of their ESR were normal after taking corticosteroidsfor 2 months after surgery. The left one secondary to the malignant tumor died 7 months laterpostoperatively.Conclusions: The precise diagnosis of retroperitoneal fibrosis at early stage is challengeable butdesirable with the help of powerful equipments such as CT or MRI. Timely surgical intervention isnecessary to exclude the possibilities of malignancy or obtain the relief of upper urinary tractobstruction.