Reversible ureteral stenosis as a delayed complication of operation on the colon and rectum.

A non-direct ureteral lesion following operations on the colon and rectum is described. The complication was observed 10 to 64 days postoperatively, and is characterized by a unilateral or bilateral, relatively long stenosis. A total of 8 cases are presented: 7 of ulcerative colitis and one, a rectal prolapse. The main symptoms were unilateral abdominal or lumbar pain, moderate fever, and a pronounced ureteral stenosis revealed at i.v. urography. In 7 cases, full restitution occurred after antibiotic treatment, supplied by ureteral catheterisation in 4 cases, while operation was necessary in one case. The discrepancy between the seriousness of the roentgenological picture and the good final result of conservative treatment was striking.