Ureterocele

BackgroundDuplex kidneys are one of the most common renal congenital abnormalities, mostly asymptomatic and of no clinical significance. There are little reports about the left ureterocele and stone of calyceal diverticulum in patients with bilateral incomplete duplex kidneys managed by flexible ureteroscopy.Case presentationA 69-year-old Chinese woman was presented with left waist pain for 1 month. A preoperative computed tomography (CT) scan and intravenous pyelogram revealed the left ureterocele which located in the left ureterovesical junction, and stone of calyceal diverticulum which located in the upper kidney of left incomplete duplex kidneys. The ureterocele was confirmed in view of ureteroscopy and the holmium laser was used for the resection of ureterocele. It took us a lot of efforts to find out the stone because of diverticular neck stenosis. Fortunately, when diverticular neck stenosis was incised internally by holmium laser, the stone was discovered clearly and removed using the holmium laser and nitinol stone basket through flexible ureteroscopy. A double-J ureteral stent was inserted and remained in place for 1 month. The symptom disappeared postoperatively and no complications were developed during the placement of the stent. There were no stone residents observed on CT scan before removing the ureteral stent 1 month later.ConclusionsFlexible ureteroscopy with holmium laser is feasible to manage the ureterocele and calyceal diverticulum stones in patients with bilateral incomplete duplex kidneys in one operation.

PurposeThe aims of this study were to analyze the clinical outcomes of treating duplex system ureteroceles with early endoscopic puncture decompression and to identify the risk factors related to outcomes to help guide future work.Materials and methodsWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of patients with ureteroceles with duplex kidney that were treated with early endoscopic puncture decompression. Charts were reviewed for demographics, preoperative imaging, surgical indications, and follow-up data. Recurrent febrile urinary tract infections (fUTIs), de novo vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), persistent high-grade VUR, unrelieved hydroureteronephrosis, and the need for further intervention were considered unfavorable outcomes. Gender, age at surgery, BMI, antenatal diagnosis, fUTIs, bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), type of ureterocele, ipsilateral VUR diagnosed before surgery, simultaneously upper-pole moiety (UM) and lower-pole moiety (LM) obstruction, the width of ureter affiliated to UM, and maximum diameter of ureterocele were all considered potential risk factors. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify the risk factors of unfavorable outcomes.ResultsA total of 36 patients with ureteroceles related to duplex kidney underwent endoscopic holmium laser puncture from 2015 to 2023 at our institution. After a median follow-up of 21.6 months, unfavorable outcomes developed in 17 patients (47.2%). Three patients underwent ipsilateral common-sheath ureter reimplantation and one patient underwent laparoscopic ipsilateral upper to lower ureteroureterostomy combined with recipient ureter reimplantation. Three patients underwent laparoscopic upper-pole nephrectomy. Fifteen patients suffered from recurrent UTIs were treated with oral antibiotics and eight of them were diagnosed de novo VUR according to voiding cystourethrography (VCUG). In univariate analysis, patients with simultaneously UM and LM obstruction (P = 0.003), fUTIs before surgery (P = 0.044), and ectopic ureterocele (P = 0.031) were more likely to have unfavorable outcomes. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that ectopic ureterocele (OR = 10.793, 95% CI 1.248-93.312, P = 0.031) and simultaneously UM and LM obstruction (OR = 8.304, 95% CI 1.311-52.589, P = 0.025) were identified as independent factors for unfavorable outcomes.ConclusionsOur study suggested that early endoscopic puncture decompression is not a preferred but an available treatment option to release BOO or to cure refractory UTIs. It was easier to fail if the ureterocele was ectopic or simultaneously UM and LM obstruction existed. Gender, age at surgery, BMI, antenatal diagnosis, fUTIs, bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), ipsilateral VUR diagnosed before surgery, the width of ureter affiliated to UM, and maximum diameter of ureterocele were not significantly related to the success rate of early endoscopic punctures.

To evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic meatotomy in the treatment of ureterocele in adults. A retrospective study of adult patients with ureterocele, treated between January 1987 and December 2014. In 47 patients, 55 intravesical ureteroceles were diagnosed and classified as 18 right, 21 left and eight bilateral (38%, 44% and 17% respectively). According to the Bruézière classification, 41 (75%) ureteroceles were type A and 14 (25%) others were type C. These ureteroceles were complicated by calculus formation in 22 cases, moderately dilated excretory pathways in 16 cases and both complications in a total of 9 cases. Four patients had a complicated ureterocele with pyelonephritis, one of which was emphysematous. The endoscopic treatment was performed in cases of complicated and/or symptomatic ureteroceles. Fifty one cases were treated by a "smiling mouth" meatotomy consisting in a transverse horizontal incision, with the treatment of any associated complication. The mean operative time was 35 minutes (10-90). The operative follow-up was uneventful in 42 patients and complications occurred in 5 patients (2 urinary retentions, 2 infectious complications and one hematuria). The mean duration of postoperative stay was 1-2 days. The mean follow-up was 15 months. Four patients developed vesicoureteral reflux and no stenosis was noted. The endoscopic incision of the ureteroceles seems today, after reviewing the results, to be a good treatment of adult ureterocele. It is a simple, minimally invasive and has a low morbidity rate.

ObjectiveTo analyze comprehensively the incidence, antenatal ultrasound characteristics and prognostic implications of antenatal pop-off mechanisms of the fetal urinary system in pregnancies with suspected fetal megacystis.MethodsThis was a retrospective multicenter study of pregnancies with suspected fetal megacystis conducted across all academic hospitals in The Netherlands. Three antenatal pop-off mechanisms were identified: presence of an umbilical cord cyst (UCC), extravasation of urine into the intraperitoneal space (ascites) or perirenal subcapsular (urinoma), and megaureter/ureterocele. Cases that exhibited two different pop-off mechanisms, underwent vesicoamniotic shunt placement or had unclear information regarding shunt placement were excluded. We compared the antenatal ultrasound characteristics and outcomes among pregnancies with UCC, those with extravasation, those with megaureter/ureterocele and those without a pop-off mechanism. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of pop-off mechanisms with antenatal characteristics and postnatal outcomes.ResultsAmong 543 fetuses with suspected megacystis, 76% exhibited no pop-off mechanism, 7% presented with UCC only, 9% presented with extravasation only, 7% presented with a megaureter/ureterocele only and 1% presented with two pop-off mechanisms. Following exclusions, 511 cases were included in the analysis. The identification of UCC (n = 39) was associated with early-onset megacystis (odds ratio (OR), 4.2 (95% CI, 1.9-9.1); P ConclusionsAntenatal pop-off mechanisms may alleviate high intraluminal pressure within the fetal urinary tract. Each mechanism leads to a different antenatal clinical picture and outcome, which may explain partially the heterogeneity of outcomes in fetuses with megacystis. Therefore, understanding the implications of these mechanisms and their antenatal characteristics could guide antenatal counseling and management of fetal megacystis. © 2025 The Author(s). Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.