A rare complication of urinary catheter insertion: Proximal ureteric rupture and sepsis

Catheter-related injuries to the distal urinary tract are well described however injury to the ureters are very rare. A 76-year-old Caucasian female presented with proximal ureteric rupture and sepsis caused by cannulation of the ureter with a catheter and inflation of the balloon within the lumen. The patient was managed with intravenous antibiotics, nephrostomy and ureteric stenting. Patients with neurogenic bladder may have vesico-ureteric reflux with patulous ureteric orifice. Long-term catheters may result in a contacted bladder, thereby altering the anatomical relationship of the bladder neck and ureteric orifice. Both of which may increase the risk of this complication.