The Management of Symptomatic Hydronephrosis in Pregnancy

The aim of this article is to provide a literature review on the management of symptomatic physiological hydronephrosis in pregnancy and compare different modalities of intervention when needed. In this review, we conducted an electronic literature search of peer-reviewed journal articles. The PubMed, Research Gate, and Google Scholar databases were queried with the following search terms: "pregnancy", "obstruction," and "hydronephrosis"; the terms "urolithiasis" and "kidney stone" were excluded. As a result, conservative treatment was successful and more favored for most of the patients and the clinicians in the different studies we found. Conservative management will usually include regular analgesia, positioning, and antibiotics. Close follow-up with ultrasound is always recommended. Intervention with ureteric stent insertion or nephrostomy tube insertion was less favored and only triggered by certain clinical criteria. In conclusion, symptomatic hydronephrosis in pregnancy can be safely treated conservatively. However, ureteral double-J stenting or percutaneous nephrostomy are effective and safe treatment methods in the minority of patients with persistent symptoms not responding to conservative management.