Urogenital Imaging

Blind-ending ureteral bud

a blind-ending hollow structure the wall of which has all the layers of the normal ureter. It is always more than twice as long as its greatest diameter, and it joins the ureter at an acute angle. The condition may be associated with renal malformations and may arise independently from the urinary bladder. Blind-ending ureteric buds may be diagnosed at any age and are more common in females. The ureters associated with long blind-ending buds have a higher than normal incidence of vesicoureteric reflux, and in an infection the blind-ending buds may become acutely inflamed. The anomalous ureteric bud and the normal ureter share a common blood supply. This condition has been referred to as ureteric diverticulum, but the term is incorrect and should not be used. Urethral bud can be recognized during voiding cystourethrography study and can also be seen on CT.

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