SECONDARY VESICAL CALCULUS AROUND TRANSLOCATED IUCD IN URINARY BLADDER

Abstract

Bladder stones may be primary or secondary in origin. Primary bladder stones develop in the sterile urine. They are formed in the kidney and pass into the bladder. Since the urethra is much wider than the ureter they are quickly passed out1. They are mostly composed of calcium oxalate crystals and after descending to urinary bladder acquire secondary deposits of calcium phosphate, magnesium ammonium phosphate or ammonium acid urates. At times they lie in a diverticulum of urinary bladder. Diseases like gout and hyperparathyroidism can lead to stone formation. Secondary bladder stones result from bladder outlet obstruction, infection, bilharziasis, tumours, or presence of foreign bodies in urinary bladder such as non-absorbable sutures, metal staples, catheter fragments or in rare occasions around translocated IUCDs (or improperly placed IUCDs!). They can also form around vaginal slings, which have eroded into the bladder2. Secondary bladder stones are usually triple phosphate calculi composed of ammonium, magnesium and calcium phosphates and occur in urine infected with urea splitting organisms such as Proteus mirabilis.