Medical Terminology Flashcards: Urinary System Terms, Kidneys, Bladder, Renal

Nephritis means inflammation of the kidney, from nephr meaning kidney and itis meaning inflammation. Glomerulonephritis specifically affects the glomeruli, the tiny filtering units within the kidneys, and can be acute or chronic. Pyelonephritis is infection and inflammation of the renal pelvis and kidney tissue, usually from a urinary tract infection that ascends from the bladder. Interstitial nephritis involves inflammation of the spaces between the renal tubules, often caused by medications or autoimmune conditions.

Hematuria means blood in the urine, from hemato meaning blood and uria meaning urine condition. Gross hematuria is visible to the naked eye, while microscopic hematuria is detected only by laboratory testing. Common causes include urinary tract infections, kidney stones, bladder or kidney cancer, glomerulonephritis, trauma, and strenuous exercise. Even a single episode of gross hematuria requires investigation because it may be the first sign of urological malignancy.

Nephrolithiasis means the formation of kidney stones, from nephro meaning kidney, lith meaning stone, and iasis meaning condition or formation of. Kidney stones are hard deposits of minerals and salts that form inside the kidneys and can cause severe pain when they move through the urinary tract. The pain, called renal colic, typically radiates from the flank to the groin. Related terms include urolithiasis meaning stones anywhere in the urinary tract, lithotripsy meaning using shock waves to break stones, and lithotomy meaning surgical stone removal.

Oliguria means abnormally low urine output, typically defined as less than 400 milliliters per day or less than 0.5 milliliters per kilogram per hour in adults. The term combines oligo meaning scanty or few and uria meaning urine condition. Anuria means the near-complete absence of urine output, less than 100 milliliters per day, from a meaning without and uria. Both are signs of serious kidney dysfunction or failure. The opposite condition is polyuria, meaning excessive urine production, from poly meaning many, commonly seen in uncontrolled diabetes and diabetes insipidus.

Cystitis means inflammation of the urinary bladder, from cyst meaning bladder or sac and itis meaning inflammation. The most common cause is bacterial infection ascending from the urethra, making it a type of urinary tract infection. Symptoms include dysuria meaning painful urination, urinary frequency and urgency, suprapubic pain, and cloudy or foul-smelling urine. Interstitial cystitis is a chronic noninfectious form causing bladder pain and pressure.

Dialysis means the separation of substances through a semipermeable membrane, from dia meaning through and lysis meaning loosening or dissolution. In medicine, it refers to the artificial process of filtering waste products and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys can no longer perform this function. Hemodialysis filters blood through an external machine, typically three times per week. Peritoneal dialysis uses the patient's own peritoneal membrane as the filter by instilling fluid into the abdominal cavity. Both types perform the essential filtering function of failed kidneys.

Hydronephrosis means swelling of the kidney due to urine backup, from hydro meaning water, nephr meaning kidney, and osis meaning abnormal condition. It occurs when urine cannot drain from the kidney to the bladder, causing pressure buildup that stretches and damages the renal pelvis and calyces. Common causes include kidney stones blocking the ureter, tumors compressing the urinary tract, urethral strictures, and benign prostatic hyperplasia in men. Bilateral hydronephrosis affects both kidneys and can rapidly lead to kidney failure. ---