Ureterocele
A balloon-like swelling of the ureter inside the bladder.
What is Ureterocele?
A ureterocele is a balloon-like ballooning of the lower end of the ureter where it enters the bladder. The opening is too narrow, so the end of the tube swells up inside the bladder like a small water balloon.
It is often associated with a duplex kidney — a kidney with two separate drainage systems — where the ureterocele belongs to the upper half.
The problem it causes depends on size and position: it can obstruct the kidney above it, obstruct the other ureter, or even block the bladder outlet. Urine that stagnates behind it is prone to infection.
Girls are affected more often than boys. It is usually present from birth and is increasingly picked up on antenatal scans.
In your language
Ureterocele
A balloon-like swelling of the ureter inside the bladder.
A ureterocele is a balloon-like ballooning of the lower end of the ureter where it enters the bladder. The opening is too narrow, so the end of the tube swells up inside the bladder like a small water balloon.
யூரிட்டரோசீல்
யூரிட்டரோசீல் என்பது சிறுநீர்ப்பைக்குள் நுழையும் சிறுநீர்க் குழாயின் நுனி பலூன் போல் வீங்கியிருக்கும் நிலை. இதனால் சிறுநீர் தேங்கி தொற்று ஏற்படலாம், சிறுநீரகம் பாதிக்கப்படலாம். பெரும்பாலும் ஸ்கேனிலோ அல்லது திரும்பத் திரும்ப வரும் சிறுநீர் தொற்றின் மூலமோ கண்டறியப்படுகிறது. சிஸ்டோஸ்கோப் மூலம் அதைத் துளையிட்டு திறப்பதே முதல் சிகிச்சை; சில குழந்தைகளுக்கு பின்னர் முழுமையான சரிசெய்யும் அறுவை சிகிச்சை தேவைப்படலாம்.
യൂറിറ്ററോസീൽ
മൂത്രസഞ്ചിയിലേക്ക് പ്രവേശിക്കുന്ന മൂത്രനാളിയുടെ അറ്റം ബലൂൺ പോലെ വീർക്കുന്ന അവസ്ഥയാണ് യൂറിറ്ററോസീൽ. ഇത് മൂത്രം കെട്ടിനിന്ന് അണുബാധയ്ക്കും വൃക്കയ്ക്ക് ക്ഷതത്തിനും കാരണമാകാം. സ്കാനിലൂടെയോ ആവർത്തിച്ചുള്ള മൂത്രാശയ അണുബാധയിലൂടെയോ ആണ് സാധാരണ കണ്ടെത്തുന്നത്. സിസ്റ്റോസ്കോപ്പിലൂടെ അത് തുറന്നുകൊടുക്കുന്നതാണ് ആദ്യ ചികിത്സ; ചില കുട്ടികൾക്ക് പിന്നീട് പൂർണ്ണമായ ശസ്ത്രക്രിയ വേണ്ടിവരാം.
What Parents Notice
Not every child shows every sign. If something on this list matches your child, it is worth an examination rather than a guess.
- Often none — detected on an antenatal or routine ultrasound
- Urinary tract infection, sometimes with fever, as the first sign
- Poor urinary stream or straining if the bladder outlet is obstructed
- A lump felt in the tummy
- Continuous dribbling of urine in a girl whose ureter opens beyond the bladder
- Poor weight gain or feeding problems in a baby
- Rarely, a swelling visible at the urinary opening in a girl
How It Is Confirmed
- Ultrasound — usually shows the ureterocele as a cyst-like structure within the bladder, along with the dilated ureter and any duplex kidney
- MCUG to look for associated reflux and to check the bladder outlet
- DMSA or MAG3 scan to assess how much function the affected part of the kidney has
- Cystoscopy to see the ureterocele directly and to treat it in the same sitting
How It Is Treated
- Endoscopic puncture or incision: through a cystoscope, the ureterocele is opened so it decompresses and drains. It is the least invasive option and is often the first step, especially in an infected or obstructed baby.
- Antibiotic prophylaxis while the child is assessed and after puncture, since reflux into the punctured system is common.
- Upper pole heminephrectomy: removal of the non-functioning upper part of a duplex kidney, if that segment contributes nothing and continues to cause infection.
- Reconstruction of the ureters and bladder (ureteric reimplantation with excision of the ureterocele) where the anatomy or persistent reflux demands a definitive repair.
- The plan depends on the child’s age, the function of the affected segment, whether there is infection, and whether the bladder outlet is involved.
Does My Child Need Surgery?
Not every child with Ureterocele needs an operation. These are the situations in which surgery is advised — and the decision is always made after examining your child, never from a description alone.
The ureterocele is obstructing the kidney, the opposite ureter or the bladder outlet
The child has urinary infections despite preventive antibiotics
The affected kidney segment is losing function
A newborn presents with obstruction or sepsis — endoscopic decompression is done promptly
Symptoms such as dribbling incontinence persist because of an ectopic ureter
What Happens Over Time
Good with treatment. Endoscopic puncture settles many children, and where a definitive reconstruction is needed the results are generally durable. The outlook for the affected part of the kidney depends on how much function it had to begin with.
This describes what usually happens, not what will happen to your child. The surgeon will give you a specific picture after examining them.
Can It Be Prevented?
A ureterocele forms before birth and cannot be prevented.
From First Visit to Going Home
What happens, in order, so that nothing on the day comes as a surprise.
Consultation
Dr. Pratheep Samraj examines your child and goes through the history, earlier reports and any treatment already given.
Investigation
Only the tests that change the decision are asked for — commonly an ultrasound, blood tests, and occasionally an X-ray or a scopy.
Explanation
You are told what the condition is, whether it needs surgery, what happens if you wait, and what the operation involves.
Treatment
If surgery is appropriate it is planned with paediatric anaesthetic cover, with ICU and NICU support available in the hospital.
Follow-up
You go home with written instructions and a review date, and you can reach the hospital by phone or WhatsApp in between.
Hospital stay
Endoscopic puncture is usually 1 to 2 days. Reconstructive surgery typically means 3 to 5 days.
Recovery at home
Recovery from the endoscopic procedure is quick. After reconstruction, normal activity returns in 2 to 3 weeks.
Follow-up
Long-term ultrasound, urine checks and function scans — some children need a second, definitive procedure after an initial puncture.
Please bring with you: all previous scan reports, blood test reports, discharge summaries, records of any earlier operation, current medicines, and your child’s immunisation card. Photographs on your phone of a swelling that comes and goes are genuinely useful.
Please note: this page is general information about Ureterocele, not advice about your child. Timing, suitability for surgery and the expected result differ from child to child and are decided only after clinical evaluation.
Questions Parents Ask
If your question is not here, send it on WhatsApp — you will get an answer from the hospital team.
Dr. Pratheep Samraj
Consultant Paediatric & Neonatal Surgeon · Palliyadi, Kanyakumari
Super-specialist surgical care for newborns, infants and children, with expertise in paediatric urology, congenital anomalies, gastro-intestinal surgery and minimally invasive surgery.
Related Conditions
A ureterocele can usually be dealt with through a telescope.
Endoscopic puncture decompresses it with no cut at all, and is often the only thing needed. Bring the ultrasound and MCUG reports and we will go through the options.
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In an emergency — green vomiting in a baby, a groin swelling that will not go back, severe tummy pain, or a newborn not passing urine or meconium — come straight to the hospital or to your nearest emergency department. Do not wait for a reply to a message.