Sign in  |  Register

Illustrated Health Encyclopedia
[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Ency. home > Disease > R > Retroperitoneal fibrosis

Retroperitoneal fibrosis   

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis; Ormond's disease

Symptoms

Early symptoms:

  • dull pain in the abdomen which increases with time
  • swelling of one leg
  • decreased circulation in the legs leading to pain and discoloration
  • severe abdominal pain with hemorrhage due to ischemic bowel

Later symptoms:

  • urine output, decreased
  • total lack of urine (anuria)
  • nausea, vomiting, changes in thinking caused by kidney failure and the resulting build up of toxic chemicals in the blood.

Signs and Tests

  • elevations in serum BUN and creatinine.
  • A kidney ultrasound may show hydronephrosis (distention of the kidney pelvis because of fluid accumulation) and a mass.
  • Excretory urography may show compression and deviation of the ureters.
  • An abdominal CT scan is the best test to reveal the retroperitoneal mass.
  • MRI offers comparable results to the CT scan.
  • Biopsy to differentiate between retroperitoneal fibrosis and a cancerous tumor.

Ency. home > Disease > R > Retroperitoneal fibrosis

[an error occurred while processing this directive]