Assessment of the Etiologies and Outcomes of Antenatal Hydronephrosis in Patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital

Background Antenatal hydronephrosis (ANH) is the most common congenital abnormality. It is often detected during pregnancy through an antenatal ultrasound (US) examination. This condition is defined as the dilatation of the renal pelvis and/or calyces in neonates. Little is known about ANH and its associated etiology and outcomes, especially in the Middle East. This study aims to determine the outcome of patients diagnosed with ANH between 2011 and 2017. Methods The current study was a retrospective analysis of data collected from the medical records of 64 ANH patients (45 male, 19 female). We collected data regarding the demographic characteristics, fetal parameters, laboratory and radiological parameters, and medical and surgical interventions. Moreover, based on radiological reports patients were classified into one of the following two groups: good prognosis, including patients with improved or resolved ANH and poor prognosis, including patients with progressing ANH and associated complications such as parenchymal scarring, chronic kidney disease complicated by secondary hypertension. Results Overall, 48.4% of patients exhibited good prognosis, whereas 51.6% exhibited poor prognosis. Among the 64 patients, 53.1% of patients exhibited unilateral ANH, and 46.9% exhibited bilateral ANH. Also, unilateral ANH and bilateral ANH had good prognoses in 41.2% and 56.7%, respectively, while unilateral and bilateral ANH had poor prognosis in 58.8% and 43.3%, respectively. Conclusions Additional prophylactic measures should be taken to avoid complications, such as urinary tract infection (UTI), as our study found that patients who have ANH are more prone to develop UTI. Patients with several ANH comorbidities are associated with poor prognosis.