Question:easy


What is the structure seen in the given X-ray below?

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A long radiopaque tube with J-curls in the renal pelvis and bladder is which device?
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
  • Stent
  • Surgical clips
  • Foley catheter
  • Intravesical wire
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Read the shape on the film. A radiopaque tube that runs from the kidney down to the bladder and ends in two opposing curls is the definition of a double-J ureteric stent, anchored proximally in the renal pelvis and distally in the bladder.
Step 2: The curled 'pigtail' ends prevent migration, and the X-ray here demonstrates these curls at both ends along the ureteral course, frequently on both sides, confirming a stent rather than any other implant.
Step 3: Recall its purpose. Stents relieve or pre-empt ureteric obstruction from stricture, post-procedure oedema, impacted stone fragments or extrinsic compression, and support healing in reconstructive surgery, which is why they sit exactly along the ureter.
Step 4: Discard the wrong answers. Surgical clips are tiny dense dots used to ligate vessels or ducts. A Foley catheter has a bladder balloon and a urethral course, not a ureteric one. An intravesical wire would lie only within the bladder. The long ureteric tube with bilateral renal and vesical curls is a stent.\[\boxed{\text{Stent}}\]
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