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Case Reports
. 2018 Sep 14:2:42.
doi: 10.21037/acr.2018.09.01. eCollection 2018.

Incidental finding of retrocaval ureter in a patient without hydronephrosis

Germano José Ferraz de Arruda  1 , Jerônimo Ferraz de Arruda Neto  2 , Juliane Cassillas Eroles  2 , Luis Cesar Fava Spessoto  3 , José Germano Ferraz de Arruda  3 , Fernando Nestor Fácio Jr  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Incidental finding of retrocaval ureter in a patient without hydronephrosis

Germano José Ferraz de Arruda et al. AME Case Rep. .

Abstract

Retrocaval or circuncaval ureters are rare congenital anomaly, in which the ureter is located posterior to the inferior vena cava (IVC). Usually, patients present symptoms in the 3rd or 4th decade of life due to compression of the ureter by the IVC, with obstruction of the urinary flow and consequent hydronephrosis. Herein we report the case of a 62-year-old patient who underwent ultrasonography to investigate abdominal pain. The patient had bilateral renal lithiasis associated with urinary tract dilation with no obvious obstruction. Computed tomography of the abdomen demonstrated a retrocaval ureter without hydronephrosis.

Keywords: Diagnosis; hydronephrosis; retrocaval ureter.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Computed tomography images demonstrating the right ureter circling the IVC with its distal portion following the expected route to the bladder. IVC, inferior vena cava.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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