Small Tubes That connect the Kidneys to the Bladder
Uretersare the tubes that transport urine from thekidneysto thebladder.
There are two ureters, each between 8 and 10 inches long.
The tubes are made of smooth muscles that contract to push urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
Sebastian Kaulitzki / Science Photo Library / Getty Images
Ureters are vulnerable to obstruction as well as infections from the lower urinary tract.
Left untreated, these conditions can lead to bladder infection (cystitis) and kidney damage.
This article describes the anatomy and function of ureters, including conditions that can affect these urinary tract organs.
It also explains how these disorders are diagnosed and treated.
Sebastian Kaulitzki / Science Photo Library / Getty Images
Anatomy
Ureters connect the kidneys to the bladder.
The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ located in the pelvis that serves as a receptacle for urine.
There are two ureters connected to each kidney, both of which end at the bladder.
The ureters role in the process is to carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
Contractions in the ureter force urine away from the kidneys and into the bladder.
The ureters work constantly, emptying urine into the bladder about every 10 to 15 seconds.
Like the ureters, the bladder is a muscular organ that contracts to eliminate urine.
The average adult bladder can hold up to about 2 cups of urine.
Associated Conditions
Uretal conditions can be congenital or a result of injury or infection.
Ureter problems occur when the flow of urine from the kidney to the bladder is affected.
If urine can not move out of the kidneys, a kidney infection can develop.
Ureteral Obstruction
Ureteral obstructions are blockages in the ureter.
Left untreated, an obstruction can damage the kidneys.
Kidney stones form when waste products stick together in your kidneys.
Strictures can cause a backup of urine into the kidney, resulting in kidney damage.
Ureteral stricture mainly occurs with the build-up of scar tissues in a ureter.
It affects mostly older people and people assigned male at birth.
Having ureteral cancer puts you at increased risk forbladder cancer.
This condition is most frequently diagnosed in infancy and early childhood.
Left untreated, VUR can cause kidney damage andhigh blood pressure.
Left untreated, UPJ and UVJ obstruction can cause kidney damage.
The organ most commonly affected is the bladder, resulting incystitis.
Infections that move upward can affect the ureters and eventually the kidneys (causingpyelonephritis).
UTIs most often occur when bacteria enter the urethra (the tube through which urine exits the body).
UTIs located further up the urinary tract tend to be more severe.
Tests will likely include scans to look a the ureter and surrounding organs.
Blood and urine tests (including kidney function tests) can help inform the diagnosis.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Anatomy of the urinary system.
Cleveland Clinic.Duplex kidney (duplicated ureters): Diagnosis, cause & symptoms.
Urology Care Foundation.Ureterocele: Symptoms, diagnosis & treatment.
