No abstract

Retrocaval ureter is a rare anomaly in which the ureter passes behind the inferior vena cava due to abnormal embryogenesis. Very few cases have been reported from Africa. Although the anomaly is congenital, patients become symptomatic in the third or fourth decade of life. We reviewed the records of four patients with the diagnosis of retrocaval ureter and managed in our centre between January 2010 and December 2016. Three patients presented with recurrent colicky right flank pain while one was asymptomatic. Two patients each had Type I and Type II retrocaval ureters, respectively. Surgical repairs were achieved in the three symptomatic cases and recovery was uneventful. Retrocaval ureter, though congenital, manifests in young adults and it may be symptomatic. Pre-operative diagnosis may be difficult when the lesion is high and mimics pelviureteric junction obstruction. Thus, a high index of suspicion is required for pre-operative diagnosis. Under-reporting and asymptomatic cases may account for the low incidence.

Foreign bodies in the urinary bladder are not uncommon, a great variety have been described, and most were self-inserted. We report the case of a 60-year-old widow who presented with irregular vaginal bleeding, urinary incontinence and terminal hematuria. On vaginal examination there was an irregular cervical mass with the appearance of invasive carcinoma of the cervix, as well as a vesico-vaginal fistula. A plain abdominopelvic X-ray and ultrasound scan revealed a ring-like metallic object with the shape of a flashlight cover inside the bladder. Histological examination of biopsies taken from the cervical mass revealed only granulation tissue. The foreign body was identified as a flashlight head which was removed from the bladder via cystotomy.

No abstract