Recurrent flank pain caused by eosinophilic ureteritis mimicking urinary stone disease: a case report

Flank pain is caused by a variety of pathologies of which urinary stone disease is the most frequent. Eosinophilic ureteritis is a rare stenosing condition of the ureter. Eosinophilic ureteritis can cause flank pain and/or unilateral hydronephrosis. On pathological examination it is characterised by a marked infiltration of the submucosal layers by eosinophils. A relationship of this condition with atopy, hypereosinophilic syndrome and prior ureteral trauma has been described. Surgical resection of the stenosing segment with end-to-end anastomosis is usually a successful treatment. In some cases of proximal disease total nephro-ureterectomy has been performed. One author describes remission of disease after a prolonged oral corticosteroid regimen. In this article we report another case of eosinophilic ureteritis and discuss different treatment strategies.