Obstructing urethral calculus in a woman revealed to be the cause of chronic pelvic pain

Abstract

Urethral calculi are extremely rarely reported in Caucasian females and are usually associated with an anatomical abnormality such as a diverticulum or a stricture. Ureteric calculi can move to become lodged in the urethra, although this is rare in women because of their short urethral length. We present a case of a 55-year-old woman presenting with urinary retention secondary to an obstructing upper tract calculus that had moved into the urethra. Four years previously, the patient had been diagnosed with chronic pelvic pain following a primary posterior vaginal wall repair. Following treatment of the obstructing calculus, her symptoms of pelvic pain completely resolved. We report a very unusual case that highlights the importance of investigating chronic pelvic pain. This patient's symptom of vaginal pain, though highly localized, was caused by pathology elsewhere in the pelvis. Alternative diagnoses should be sought for such patients and investigation performed to detect any nonvisible hematuria.