Urinary retention resulting from incarceration of a retroverted, gravid uterus.

Urinary retention resulting from urethral obstruction by a retroverted, gravid uterus is an uncommon disorder that is reported only once in the Emergency Medicine literature. Yet these patients may present in extreme distress and precipitate considerable confusion regarding the cause of and solution to this problem. No study evaluating outcome, risk of complications, or therapy exists. We present two cases that clarify diagnostic and therapeutic controversies and provide a better understanding of what is known about the pathophysiology and treatment alternatives.