Pyelonephritis is characterized by:

Pyelonephritis is characterized by:

• A. Inflammation of the bladder
• B. Inflammation of the ureters
• C. Inflammation of the urethra
• D. Inflammation of the renal pelvis and the kidney

Answer: (D)

Pyelonephritis means infection of the kidney that causes inflammation of the renal pelvis and the kidney itself. This is why the description fits best: the collecting system (renal pelvis) plus the renal tissue become inflamed, leading to symptoms such as fever, flank pain or costovertebral angle tenderness, and often urinary symptoms. The other urinary tract inflammations involve different structures: inflammation of the bladder (cystitis) mainly causes suprapubic pain and urinary frequency without the kidney-focused pain; inflammation of the ureters (ureteritis) centers on the tube carrying urine from kidney to bladder and usually presents with flank pain; inflammation of the urethra (urethritis) causes dysuria and discharge rather than kidney-specific signs.

Pyelonephritis means infection of the kidney that causes inflammation of the renal pelvis and the kidney itself. This is why the description fits best: the collecting system (renal pelvis) plus the renal tissue become inflamed, leading to symptoms such as fever, flank pain or costovertebral angle tenderness, and often urinary symptoms.

The other urinary tract inflammations involve different structures: inflammation of the bladder (cystitis) mainly causes suprapubic pain and urinary frequency without the kidney-focused pain; inflammation of the ureters (ureteritis) centers on the tube carrying urine from kidney to bladder and usually presents with flank pain; inflammation of the urethra (urethritis) causes dysuria and discharge rather than kidney-specific signs.