Adult giant hydronephrosis diagnosed in the second trimester of pregnancy: A case report and literature review

Adult giant hydronephrosis in a normally sited kidney is unusual during pregnancy. The most frequent cause is congenital obstruction at the ureteropelvic junction. Ultrasound accompanied by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are valuable in reaching the diagnosis, especially when clinical assessment of an abdominal mass is inconclusive regarding aetiology. We report a case of giant hydronephrosis in a woman who presented at 23 weeks of gestation with abdominal distension. She was managed conservatively. Unfortunately, the pregnancy was complicated by severe pre-eclampsia at 32 weeks of gestation, necessitating delivery via emergency caesarean section. She had a smooth postpartum recovery, and subsequently standard imaging was performed before nephrectomy. The literature and previously reported cases of giant hydronephrosis in pregnancy are reviewed.