Incidentally Discovered Foley Catheter Placement Into a Transplanted Kidney

Although unusual, placement of a Foley catheter into the renal pelvis or ureter has been reported. Proposed predisposing factors for errant placement include pre-existing hydronephrosis or congenital ureteral orifice enlargement. We report a case where aberrant placement of a Foley catheter into the renal pelvis of a transplanted kidney was detected by ultrasound in a patient being evaluated for acute kidney injury. The Foley had been in place for 2 weeks. This is the only reported case we are aware of involving accidental catheterization of a transplant's renal pelvis.