Megaureter Symptoms & Causes

In-Depth

What causes a megaureter?

There may be different causes for a megaureter, including:

  • A congenital (present at birth) condition in which the distal ureter (the final or bottom part of the ureter), which is normally a muscular layer of tissue, is replaced by stiff, fibrous tissue. With no muscle, normal peristalsis (worm-like movement of the ureter that propels urine towards the bladder) cannot occur.
  • High-grade vesicoureteral reflux (when your child urinates, some urine travels back up the ureter and possibly up to the kidney)

What are the symptoms of megaureter?

There's a good chance that your child will not show any symptoms of megaureter. More and more often, it is detected on prenatal ultrasound. But sometimes a child is referred to a pediatric urologist or pediatric surgeon after experiencing at least one of the following symptoms during infancy or early childhood: