Delayed presentation of urinoma mimicking spondylodiscitis secondary to ureteric injury following carrot stick fracture in ankylosing spondylitis.

INTRODUCTION

Ureteric injuries are rarely associated with spinal trauma with an incidence of less than 1%. Missed injuries can lead to urinoma collection, urosepsis and even death.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A 75-year-old man presented 1 month following fall with high-grade fever and severe back pain mimicking spondylodiscitis clinically. Plain radiograph showed features of ankylosing spondylitis with a suspicious trans-discal injury at L3-L4. Hyper-intense fluid within L3/L4 disk space communicating to a large psoas collection measuring 13 × 6 cms mimicking spondylodiscitis with abscess formation was observed in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI with contrast enhancement demonstrated a leak through left ureter into the psoas muscle raising suspicion of a ureteric injury. Plain computerized tomography revealed a three-column fracture at L4, and a ureteric leak into the psoas collection with proximal hydronephrosis was seen after contrast administration, establishing the presence of a ureteric fistula resulting in urinoma.

RESULTS

Following initial symptomatic improvement after ureteric stenting, the patient succumbed to urosepsis at 3 months.

CONCLUSION

We report for the first time a post-traumatic urinoma secondary to ureteric injury clinically mimicking spondylodiscitis. Clinicians need to be aware of the possibility of ureteric injury in hyperextension lumbar fractures occurring in ankylosing spondylitis and treat them early to avoid urological complications.