Ureteroarterial fistula

Abstract

The authors intended to perform a comprehensive review of the literature pertaining to ureteroarterial fistulae and apply the findings to a case. A comprehensive literature search was performed using the Keywords: ureter, artery and fistula. The available articles printed in or translated to English were analysed for overall trends. The results were then compared with the case of a patient (index patient). Review of the literature reveals that 57% of all ureteroarterial fistulae form in women at an average age of 58. The most common presenting complaint is haematuria. There appears to be a shift in management from primarily open surgical to primarily angiographic. The known risk factors are: vascular pathology, malignancy, prior radiation and indwelling stents. While 98% of all cases have at least one known risk factor, only 41% had two or more. We report an additional case of this rare condition, and review the present literature.

Keywords::

• Artery
• fistula
• genito-urinary medicine
• gynaecological oncology
• ureter

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Salary for E.A.A. and supplies were supported by the NIH, NICHD K12 Grant No. HD001259. Further support for supplies came from a UCSD Academic Senate Research Grant to E.A.A.