Ureterocele

What is a ureterocele?

A ureterocele is a birth defect that affects the kidney, ureter (tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder) and bladder. A ureterocele blocks the normal flow of urine, which results in swelling at the bottom of one of the ureters.

Risk factors

This condition is more common in girls than in boys, and it is common in children who have another urologic condition called a duplex kidney (when a single kidney has two ureters).

What are the signs and symptoms of a ureterocele?

In many cases, a ureterocele doesn’t cause symptoms. When it does, a child may experience one or more of the following:

• Blood in the urine

• Burning sensation when urinating

• Fever

• Foul-smelling urine

• Lump in the abdomen

• Pain in the abdominal area

• Urinating more frequently than usual

• Urinary incontinence (daytime wetting)

• Urinary tract infection (UTI)

What are the causes of a ureterocele?

A ureterocele develops during a baby's development in their mother's womb, when the ends of the ureter that meet the bladder don’t form properly.