The excretory system has the task of ridding the body of toxins and waste products. The kidneys process the blood to produce urine, which travels through the ureters to the bladder for storage. Once the bladder becomes full, the bladder muscles receive a message from the brain to produce the urge to urinate. Urine travels through the urethra to leave the body.
Urinary Tract Infections
The bladder, kidneys, ureters and urethra comprise the urinary tract. An infection occurring in the bladder is cystitis, an infection in the kidneys is pyelonephritis and an infection in the urethra is urethritis. According to Medline Plus, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, the ureters rarely become infected. Bacteria entering the urethra and traveling to the bladder is the most common cause and location of a urinary tract infection. Symptoms include frequent urination that burns or causes pain and urine that is cloudy or bloody. Treatment depends on if the infection is in the bladder or kidneys, and usually consists of antibiotics such as amoxicillin and doxycycline. Kidney infections may require hospitalization for the administration of fluids.
Wilms Tumor
The American Cancer Society reports that Wilms tumor, a cancer that starts in the kidneys, is the most common kidney cancer in children. A tumor in the kidneys affects the body's process to maintain a stable chemical balance, remove waste products and release hormones to control blood pressure. The classifications for Wilms tumors are favorable histology or unfavorable histology. About 90 percent of Wilms tumors fit in the favorable category with a good chance for a cure. An accurate diagnosis requires examination of the tumor cells under a microscope.
Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are an extremely painful disorder of the excretory system affecting as many as 10 percent of the people in the United States, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Kidney stones are calcium, struvite, uric acid or cystine. Symptoms of a kidney stone include back pain, vomiting, blood in the urine and fever. Diagnostic testing to confirm the presence of a kidney stone may include a sonogram, X-ray or an intravenous pyelogram using a special dye to visualize the exact location and size of the stone or stones. Treatment consists of allowing the stone to pass with no intervention, using shock waves to break a stone into smaller pieces, removal of the stone through a ureteroscope or removal through an incision made from the back into the kidney.
Hematuria
More than 100 causes exist for hematuria, the presence of blood in the urine, explains the National Kidney Foundation. Reasons for hematuria include mineral imbalances, abnormal urinary tract structures, inherited diseases such as polycystic kidney disease and glomerulonephritis, a damaged kidney. Tests to determine the extent and cause of hematuria include laboratory examination of a urine sample and a kidney ultrasound.
