Ureteral cannulation as a complication of urethral catheterization

Urinary catheterization is a common procedure, particularly among patients with neurogenic bladder secondary to spinal cord injury. Urethral catheterization is associated with the well-recognized complications of catheter-associated urinary tract infections and limited genitourinary trauma. Unintentional ureteral cannulation represents a rare complication of urethral catheterization and has been previously described in only eight cases within the literature. We describe two cases of aberrant ureteral cannulation involving two patients with quadriplegia. These cases along with prior reports identify the spastic, insensate bladder and altered pelvic sensorium found in upper motor neuron syndromes as major risk factors for ureteral cannulation with a urinary catheter.