Spontaneous ureteral rupture

Spontaneous ureteral rupture is defined as the nontraumatic leakage of urine from the ureter. This is a rare urological disorder, and only a small number of cases have been reported. Here, we report a rare case of a patient with spontaneous ureteral rupture who presented at our emergency department with abdominal distension and flank pain; the final diagnosis was confirmed through computed tomography (CT). The patient received urgent right percutaneous nephrostomy, double-J stenting, and treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics, which resulted in a favorable outcome. Although uncommon, emergency physicians must have knowledge regarding this condition, which often presents as an acute abdominal condition and may be misdiagnosed as another condition requiring surgical intervention. Abdominal ultrasonography and CT should be included in the treatment of all cases suspected with this condition in order to reduce unnecessary surgical intervention. Copyright (C) 2016, Taiwan Surgical Association. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.