Recording of intraureteric pressures in women with a new technique.

This paper describes a new technique for recording intraureteric pressures (ureterometry) and its application in the examination of ureteric peristalsis in 20 women. A multichannel catheter, connected to pressure transducers permits recording of the intraureteric pressure simultaneously at three levels, 5-7, 15-17, 25-27 cm from the ureteric orifice. The mean amplitudes of the peristaltic waves at these 3 levels were about 14, 19 and 26 cm H2O, respectively. The peristaltic travel rate averaged 33 mm per second in the lower and 40 mm per second in the upper part of the ureter. This technique was also used to study the ureteral function in women undergoing Wertheim hysterectomy. Moreover it was used to investigate the influence of different drugs and anaesthesias on ureteral motility. Simultaneous ureterometry and ureteropyelography gave the opportunity to correlate the morphology of the ureter to the intraureteric pressure. From consideration of space the results of these investigations are presented elsewhere (Ulmsten, 1974a).