A 28-year-old woman experienced urinary retention occurring at midnight at 12 weeks of her first pregnancy (). She was presented to the Emergency Department for urethral catheterization, which drained 900 ml of clear urine. On vaginal examination, the cervix was drawn up into the anterior fornix behind the symphysis pubis. Transabdominal and vaginal sonography revealed a retroverted uterus with a gestational sac and fetus located in the pelvic cavity (Figs. and ). There were no clinical findings indicating having urinary tract infection or bladder stone, and she had no history of excessive fluid intake (alcohol), constipation or medication.\nThe following prophylactic measures were suggested to the patient: limiting fluid intake before sleep and changing from supine to the prone position for a while before getting up to go to the toilet. Until 14 weeks’ gestation, however, urinary retention requiring urethral catheterization recurred three times. Each catheterization yielded around 600-1000 ml urine. At 15 weeks’ gestation, the gravid uterus was examined and no retroversion was found anymore (). She had no more recurrence of urinary retention during the rest of this pregnancy.\nThree years later, the patient consulted our hospital again due to urinary retention at 11 weeks of her second pregnancy. Urethral catheterization, which drained 600 ml of clear urine, was performed with prompt effect. At this time, transvaginal sonography revealed a retroverted uterus again. She had no recurrence of urinary retention during the rest of the pregnancy.
Case 3: A 31-year-old pregnant woman (gravida 3 para 1, abortion 1) at 14 + 5 wk of gestation presented with constipation and no bowel movements for 10 d and was admitted to the Obstetrics Department on February 8, 2011.