Dilatation and nontraumatic rupture of the urinary tract during pregnancy: a review.

Rupture of the urinary tract during pregnancy is uncommonly reported. Nevertheless, pregnancy-induced changes in the urinary tract predispose to tears and leaks in the renal parenchyma or collecting system. Pyelonephritis, painful overdistension, and rupture are consequences of the effects of pregnancy on the urinary tract. Thirteen cases of urinary tract rupture from the literature and one from the authors' experience illustrate the clinical manifestations of this serious complication of pregnancy.