Ectopic Ureter
Most of us are born with 2 ureters, the tube that drains the urine from each kidney into the bladder.
Archived from the 2022 edition
Overview
But some babies are born with 2 ureters that drain a single kidney. In these cases, one ureter drains the upper part of the kidney and the second ureter drains the lower part of the kidney. As long as they both enter the bladder, this extra ureter is usually not a problem.
But if a child is born with a ureter that does not connect with the bladder, it can drain somewhere outside the bladder. This is called an ectopic ureter. In girls, the ectopic ureter can drain into the urethra (the tube leading out of the bladder that we use to pee out of) or even the vagina. In boys, it often drains into the urethra near the prostate or into the sex organs.
In this entry
The archived page carried these sections, in this order.
- Causes
- Symptoms
- Incontinence
- Swelling
- Urinary Tract Infection
- Vesicoureteral Reflux (VUR)
- Diagnosis
- Ultrasound
- Bladder X-ray (Voiding Cystourethrogram, or VCUG)
- Renal Flow Scan (MAG-3 or DMSA) or Magnetic Resonance Urogram