Although urinary tract differences are rare, the most common ones are:

Hydronephrosis (pronounced ‘hi-dron-eff-roe-sis’):
This condition happens when one or both kidneys swell because urine builds up inside them. This happens if urine can’t flow from the kidneys to the bladder and is sometimes caused by a blockage (like a narrow area or kidney stones), or sometimes by a urinary infection.
Ureteral duplication (pronounced ‘yur-eet-eral dew-plik-ay-shun’), also called duplex kidney:
This is where one or both kidneys have an extra ureter tube connecting down to the bladder, rather than one ureter connecting the kidney to the bladder.
- Follow this link for more information about duplex kidney.
Ureterocele (pronounced ‘yur-reet-ero-seel’):
This is where the lower part of the ureter becomes enlarged and forms a balloon-like structure inside the bladder.
- Follow this link to learn more about ureterocele.
Ectopic ureter (pronounced ‘ek-top-ik yur-eet-er’):
This refers to a condition where the upper part of the ureter attaches incorrectly elsewhere in the urinary tract or bladder.
- Follow this link to read more about ectopic ureter.
Vesicoureteral reflux (pronounced ‘vessy-co-yur-eet-er-ral ree-flux’), usually abbreviated to VUR:
VUR happens when urine flows backward from the bladder, back up into one or both ureters, and sometimes even into the kidney.
- Follow this link for more information about vesicoureteral reflux.