Endoscopic Removal of an Intrauterine Device in the Left Distal Ureter

Intrauterine device (IUD) migration to the ureter is rare. Symptoms can vary, but often mimic renal colic. Radiographic imaging may aid the diagnosis of a foreign body in the ureter. Reports on endoscopic managements of a migrated IUD are not well described. We present a 36-year-old woman with a history of IUD insertion. Her symptoms included hematuria, dysuria, and suprapubic/abdominal pressure. After the removal of her IUD by her gynecologist, her hematuria eventually stopped, but she presented again with persistent pain. CT revealed a radiopaque foreign body in the distal left ureter protruding into the bladder. A careful resection with a resectoscope uncovered a long cylindrical shaped foreign body, suspicious of a broken piece of the IUD. Although not always feasible and long-term results remain to be determined, endoscopic management is a safe and effective method of identifying and removing a retained IUD in the ureter. When evaluating a woman with abdominal pain who has an indwelling IUD, a spontaneous migration of the IUD should be considered in the differential diagnosis.