Extraluminal location of a Foley catheter balloon.

Hong Kong Med J ⎥ Volume 23 Number 2 ⎥ April 2017 ⎥ www.hkmj.org Indwelling urinary catheters are generally safe but may be associated with complications. Although intraperitoneal or extraperitoneal perforation is rare, the condition can be life-threatening.1 Abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) is commonly performed in hospitalised patients. In many cases the urinary bladder is catheterised and included in the scan; CT scan is a reliable method to evaluate many pathologies of the urinary bladder.2 The apparent extraluminal position of a Foley catheter tip or balloon can be misleading, however.3 We present a case in which a Foley catheter balloon was inflated in a bladder diverticulum mimicking an extraluminal location on a CT scan.