1020 Pyelitis. 



membrane of the renal pelvis wMcli are similar to chronic 

 catarrh. Finally the disease occurs in conjunction with severe, 

 especially with purulent nephritis, and also with ascending in- 

 flammation of the bladder and of the ureters. 



Anatomical Changes. Simple catarrh of the mucous mem- 

 brane of the pelvis (Pyelitis catarrhalis) is characterized by 

 increased redness and swelling, possibly, small hemorrhages, 

 in chronic cases by slate-gray discoloration and thickening of 

 the mucosa which is covered with thick mucus or pus and at 

 times with a granular or lumpy deposit. In severe inflamma- 

 tion a great number of hemorrhagic foci are found in the 

 mucosa and much blood within the pelvis (P.- Haemorrhagica) ; 

 in other cases there is ulcerous destruction of the mucosa 

 (P. ulcerosa) or this is covered with membranous deposits 

 (P. membranacea s. diphtherica). The inflammatory process 

 may be associated with a dilatation of the renal pelvis, its cavity 

 being filled with urine (Hydronephrosis) or largely w^ith pus 

 (Pyonephrosis). 



Symptoms. Usually the patients show symptoms of pain 

 which are not, however, characteristic. In larger animals rectal 

 exploration sometimes makes it possible to determine sensitive- 

 ness to pressure in one or both kidneys and, in some cases, 

 a dilatation of the corresponding renal pelvis; in smaller 

 animals pressure through the abdominal wall elicits evidences 

 of pain. Some animals have frequent desire to urinate, only 

 a small amount of urine being voided at one time, in other cases 

 micturition is normal. 



The color and specific gravity of the urine are often normal, 

 but the urine contains much mucus and more or less pus. The 

 reaction is alkaline in herbivora, acid or alkaline in carnivora, 

 the latter especially in ammoniacal fermentation. In any case 

 the urine contains albumen corresponding in quantity to that 

 of the pus. In consequence there is always a fairly copious 

 organic sediment, containing pus cells, and also long-tailed, 

 epithelial cells which look like molars, have pointed projections 

 at one or both ends, and are derived from the deeper epithelial 

 layers of the mucous membrane of the renal pelvis ; there are 

 also pavement epithelia. At times the sediment contains red 

 blood corpuscles, small blood clots and mucous shreds. If 

 urinary calculi are present in the renal pelvis the urine con- 

 tains whitish or yellowish sandy granules, if parasites are 

 present the sediment contains eggs of worms. 



Since inflammation of the renal pelvis is often accompanied 

 by nephritis or by catarrh of the bladder, the clinical picture 

 may be more or less obscured by the symptoms of these 

 diseases. 



Pyelitis is always of serious significance, because it is the 



