Obstructive uropathy is a structural or functional hindrance of normal urine

Urine

Urine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream...

 flow, sometimes leading to
renal dysfunction (obstructive nephropathy

Nephropathy

Nephropathy refers to damage to or disease of the kidney. An older term for this is nephrosis.-Causes:Causes of nephropathy include administration of analgesics, xanthine oxidase deficiency, and long-term exposure to lead or its salts...

).

It is a very broad term, and does not imply a location or etiology.

Causes

It can be caused by a lesion at any point in the urinary tract.

Causes include urolithiasis

Urolithiasis

A bladder stone is a solid concretion or crystal aggregation found in the urinary bladder...

 and ureteral herniation.

Symptoms

Symptoms, less likely in chronic obstruction, are pain radiating to the T11 to T12 dermatomes, anuria

Anuria

Anuria means nonpassage of urine, in practice is defined as passage of less than 50 milliliters of urine in a day. Anuria is often caused by failure in the function of kidneys. It may also occur because of some severe obstruction like kidney stones or tumours. It may occur with end stage renal...

, nocturia

Nocturia

Nocturia , also called nycturia , is the need to get up in the night to urinate, thus interrupting sleep. Its occurrence is more frequent in pregnant women and in the elderly...

, or polyuria

Polyuria

Polyuria is a condition usually defined as excessive or abnormally large production or passage of urine . Frequent urination is sometimes included by definition, but is nonetheless usually an accompanying symptom...

.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is based on results of bladder catheterization, ultrasonography, CT scan, cystourethroscopy

Cystoscopy

Cystoscopy is endoscopy of the urinary bladder via the urethra. It is carried out with a cystoscope.Diagnostic cystoscopy is usually carried out with local anaesthesia...

, or pyelography, depending on the level of obstruction.

Treatment

Treatment, depending on cause, may require prompt drainage

Drainage

Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies.-Early history:...

, instrumentation, surgery (eg, endoscopy

Endoscopy

Endoscopy means looking inside and typically refers to looking inside the body for medical reasons using an endoscope , an instrument used to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body. Unlike most other medical imaging devices, endoscopes are inserted directly into the organ...

, lithotripsy

Lithotripsy

Lithotripsy refers to the physical destruction of gallstones or kidney stones. The term is derived from the Greek words meaning "breaking stones" .Forms include:* Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy...

), hormonal therapy, or a combination of these modalities.