Abstract
IntroductionUreteral trauma is rare, accounting for less than 1% of all urologic traumas. However, a missed ureteral injury can result in significant morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this article is to review the literature since 1961 with the primary objective to present the largest medical literature review, to date, regarding ureteral trauma. Several anatomic and physiologic considerations are paramount regarding ureteral injuries management.Literature reviewEighty-one articles pertaining to traumatic ureteral injuries were reviewed. Data from these studies were compiled and analyzed. The majority of the study population was young males. The proximal ureter was the most frequently injured portion. Associated injuries were present in 90.4% of patients. Admission urinalysis demonstrated hematuria in only 44.4% patients. Intravenous ureterogram (IVU) failed to diagnose ureteral injuries either upon admission or in the operating room in 42.8% of cases. Ureteroureterostomy, with or without indwelling stent, was the surgical procedure of choice for both trauma surgeons and urologists (59%). Complications occurred in 36.2% of cases. The mortality rate was 17%.ConclusionThe mechanism for ureteral injuries in adults is more commonly penetrating than blunt. The upper third of the ureter is more often injured than the middle and lower thirds. Associated injuries are frequently present. CT scan and retrograde pyelography accurately identify ureteral injuries when performed together. Ureteroureterostomy, with or without indwelling stent, is the surgical procedure of choice of both trauma surgeons and urologists alike. Delay in diagnosis is correlated with a poor prognosis.
Highlights
Ureteral trauma is rare, accounting for less than 1% of all urologic traumas
All articles were classified as level of evidence (LOE) 3 or 4
Proximal ureteral injury occurred at a rate of 59.7% (± 37), while mid and distal injuries occurred 25.6% (± 30.4) and 20.8% (± 24.4) of the time, respectively
Summary
Ureteral trauma is rare, accounting for less than 1% of all urologic traumas. a missed ureteral injury can result in significant morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this article is to review the literature since 1961 with the primary objective to present the largest medical literature review, to date, regarding ureteral trauma. Several anatomic and physiologic considerations are paramount regarding ureteral injuries management. Ureteral trauma was first reported in 1868 by Alfred Poland when he described the first case of disruption from blunt trauma [4]. Henry Morris described the first ureteral procedure in 1904, when he performed an ureterectomy on a 30-year-old male who “fell from his van catching one of the wheels across his right loin” [6]. In both cases, the ureteral injury was missed upon admission. Kirchner reported the first bilateral ureteral injury and repair, secondary to a single low-velocity penetrating missile, in 1981 [7]
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