---
title: "Megaureter"
url: https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/m/megaureter/
description: "Most children are born with a normal urinary tract. But in some infants the tube that connects the kidney and bladder gets wider. This can cause..."
---

# Megaureter

Most children are born with a normal urinary tract. But in some infants the tube that connects the kidney and bladder gets wider. This can cause infections and block urine flow. If not treated, this can cause serious kidney damage.

Archived from the 2024 edition

## Overview

The urinary tract is like a plumbing system, with special 'pipes' that allow water and salts to flow through them. The urinary tract is made up of 2 kidneys, 2 ureters, the bladder, and the urethra.

The kidneys act as a filter system for the blood. They remove toxins and keep the useful sugar, salts, and minerals. Urine, the waste product, is made in the kidneys and flows down 2, 10 to 12-inch-long tubes called ureters into the bladder. The ureters are about a quarter inch wide and have muscled walls which push the urine into the bladder. The bladder stretches or expands to store the urine until you're ready to drain it by peeing. It also closes the pathways into the ureters so urine can't flow back into the kidneys. The tube that carries the urine from the bladder out of the body is called the urethra.

## In this entry

The archived page carried these sections, in this order.

- What Happens under Normal Conditions?
- What are Megaureters?
- Symptoms
- Diagnosis
- Ultrasound
- Voiding Cystourethrogram (VCUG)
- Diuretic Renal Scans
- Magnetic Resonance of the Urinary Tract (MR-U)
- Treatment
- Open Surgery

## Other entries in Kidney Cancer and Stones

- [Adrenal Gland Cancers](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/a_/adrenal-gland-cancers/)
- [Adrenal Mass](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/a_/adrenal-mass/)
- [Antegrade Pyelography](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/a_/antegrade-pyelography/)
- [Conn's Syndrome](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/c/conns-syndrome/)
- [Cushing's Syndrome](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/c/cushings-syndrome/)
- [Ectopic Kidney](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/e/ectopic-kidney/)
- [Ectopic Ureter](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/e/ectopic-ureter/)
- [Extrinsic Obstruction of the Ureter](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/e/extrinsic-obstruction-of-the-ureter/)

### Source of this entry

- Original address**/urology-a-z/m/megaureter/**
- Edition**2024 edition**
- Group**Kidney Cancer and Stones**

### This is not medical advice

These pages are archived reference copies of material published on this domain. They are not medical advice, not a diagnosis and not a substitute for talking with a health professional.

### Related topics

- [About OAB](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/its-time-to-talk-about-oab/about-oab/)
- [Overactive Bladder: Patient Guide](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/overactive-bladder/)
- [Urologic Conditions](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urologic-conditions/)
- [Educational Materials](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/educational-materials/)

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