ABSTRACT
Urinary tract obstruction may result from numerous etiologies and at various levels within the urinary system. Sources may be congenital or acquired, benign or malignant. Moreover, patients’ presenting symptoms will vary not only by the location of obstruction, but also with the time course over which the blockage has developed. This chapter systematically addresses the physiologic alterations to renal and bladder function that result from obstruction of normal urinary flow, the pathologic processes that may produce obstruction, and the varied options for restoring proper drainage of the urinary tract.
