Sorin Hostiuc1, Mugurel Constantin Rusu2, Ionut Negoi3, Mihai Grigoriu4, Mihaela Hostiuc5. 1. Faculty of Dental Medicine, Department of Legal Medicine and Bioethics, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Sos.Vitan Barzesti 9, 042122 Sector 4, Bucharest, Romania. soraer@gmail.com. 2. Faculty of Dental Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania. 3. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania. 4. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Surgery, University Emergency Hospital Bucharest, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania. 5. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Retrocaval ureter is a congenital abnormality of the right ureter, which has been shown, in rare cases to cause clinical symptoms, mainly due to the development of ureterohydronephrosis. PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to identify the prevalence of the retrocaval ureter, and to emphasize its clinical and surgical importance. DESIGN: A meta-analysis of prevalence, on cases obtained from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. RESULTS: A total number of 13 studies contained data that allowed us to estimate the prevalence of the retrocaval ureter, which was identified overall in 9 cases, out of 18,493 subjects. The overall prevalence of retrocaval ureter was 0.13%, with a 95% confidence interval between 0.06 and 0.27%. There was no publication bias, all studies being under the funnel. CONCLUSIONS: The overall prevalence of retrocaval ureter is 0.13%. Even if this is obviously a rare condition, its presence must be suspected by practitioners, especially in the presence of urological symptoms without a clear cause.
INTRODUCTION: Retrocaval ureter is a congenital abnormality of the right ureter, which has been shown, in rare cases to cause clinical symptoms, mainly due to the development of ureterohydronephrosis. PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to identify the prevalence of the retrocaval ureter, and to emphasize its clinical and surgical importance. DESIGN: A meta-analysis of prevalence, on cases obtained from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. RESULTS: A total number of 13 studies contained data that allowed us to estimate the prevalence of the retrocaval ureter, which was identified overall in 9 cases, out of 18,493 subjects. The overall prevalence of retrocaval ureter was 0.13%, with a 95% confidence interval between 0.06 and 0.27%. There was no publication bias, all studies being under the funnel. CONCLUSIONS: The overall prevalence of retrocaval ureter is 0.13%. Even if this is obviously a rare condition, its presence must be suspected by practitioners, especially in the presence of urological symptoms without a clear cause.
Entities:
Keywords:
Circumcaval ureter; Congenital abnormality of the vena cava; Preureteral vena cava; Prevalence; Retrocaval ureter