Q: I am a 53 years old male suffering from mild hydronephrosis and hydroureter. What does mild hydronephrosis and hydroureter mean?

A:Hydronephrosis is a condition in which there is distension of urinary collecting system in the kidney due to blockage of free flow of urine from the kidney. Hydroureter is distension of ureter which is a muscular tube that carries urine from kidney to bladder. Depending on severity of distension, this condition is classified as mild, moderate or severe. There are several causes of this condition - in elderly men, most common cause is prostate enlargement. Whatever the cause may be, if hydronephrosis is not addressed in a timely manner, it can cause progressive damage to the kidney leading to kidney failure.