Intracaval misplacement of a double-J ureteral stent

Abstract

Double-J ureteral stent (DJUS) is an important therapeutic tool in endourology. There are well-known frequent complications associated with DJUS placement such as distal and proximal migration within the urinary tract. However, perforation and stent misplacement are uncommon but serious complications of this technique. We present a case of a 63-year-old man who had a misplacement of a DJUS into the inferior vena cava during an elective procedure of ureteral catheterisation. The stent placement was performed under fluoroscopic control and it seemed well positioned. Actually, the DJUS was misplaced in the inferior vena cava after drilling at the level of the crossing of the ureter with the ipsilateral iliac vessels. Diagnosis was incidentally made 3 months after the placement of the stent in a renal CT scan. The patient was always asymptomatic. We performed an endoscopic removal of the ureteral stent, which took place without complications.