This is an open access article under the terms of a license that permits non-commercial use, provided the original work is properly cited.  
© 2023 The Authors. Société Internationale d'Urologie Journal, published by the Société Internationale d'Urologie, Canada.

SIUJ.ORG SIUJ  •  Volume 4, Number 4  •  July 2023

Key Words Competing Interests Article Information

Ureterocele, pregnancy, prolapse None declared.

Patient consent: Obtained.

Received on October 25, 2022 
Accepted on October 29, 2022 
This article has been peer reviewed.

Soc Int Urol J. 2023;4(4):345–346

DOI: 10.48083/CKYN3688

345

CLINICAL PICTURE

A Diagnostic Dilemma Identifies a Rare Case  
of a Prolapsed Ureterocele in Pregnancy

James Kovacic,1 Ankur Dhar,1 Andrew R.H. Shepherd,2 Amanda Chung1

1 Royal North Shore Hospital, Department of Urology, St Leonards, Australia 2 The University of Adelaide School of Medicine, Adelaide, Australia

A 37-year-old woman at 30 weeks’ gestation presented to the emergency department by ambulance because of vaginal 
bleeding, urinary retention, mild left flank pain, and a tender mass that had developed at her vaginal introitus that day. 
She had a significant background of a left-sided 3 cm ureterocele diagnosed on prenatal imaging, but was otherwise 
medically well.

Examination identified a large, tender, blue-tinged cystic mass protruding from the vaginal introitus (Figure 1), 
which was initially thought to represent amniotic membranes. Obstetric review was undertaken; however, on spec-
ulum examination, the cervix remained closed with no evidence of vaginal bleeding. An indwelling catheter was 
inserted because of urinary retention with persistence of urine soaking her pad following insertion, despite appro-
priate placement. Blood tests demonstrated normal biochemistry and inflammatory markers. Urine microscopy and 
culture was negative for micro-organisms.

Following discussion with the urology service, provisional diagnosis of a prolapsed ureterocele was made, and 
endoscopic management was decided, given symptomatic retention. The patient was provided a spinal anaesthetic 
and placed into lithotomy and lateral wedge position. Flexible cystoscopy was performed before and after reduction of 
the mass to ascertain anatomical features (Figure 2). On manual reduction of the mass and rigid cystoscopy, a large 
cystic structure was protruding from the expected site of the left ureteric orifice, consistent with an inflamed uretero-
cele. Endoscopic resection of the ureterocele was undertaken to reveal a single open ureteric orifice. Histopathology 
identified the expected result of a ureterocele.

Postoperatively, the patient was monitored overnight prior to discharge home the following day, with outpatient 
urology follow-up planned.

Acknowledgements
Case presented in affiliation with the Division of Surgery and Anaesthesia, Department of Urology, Royal North 
Shore Hospital. With thanks to the Royal North Shore Hospital staff involved with this case.

Disclosure statement
Dr Amanda Chung is a proctor for Boston Scientific and Medtronic.

http://SIUJ.org
mailto:james.kovacic%40health.nsw.gov.au?subject=SIUJ


FIGURE 1.

Prolapsed ureterocele at vaginal introitus 

FIGURE 2.

Flexible cystoscopy with retroflexed view of ureterocele 

346 SIUJ  •  Volume 4, Number 4  •  July 2023 SIUJ.ORG

CLINICAL PICTURE

http://SIUJ.org