ABSTRACT
Trauma is not responsible for many of the radiologic signs in this book. However, one of the classics is the traumatically induced tear-drop or pear-shaped bladder. George Prather and Thomas Kaiser 1 (Boston City Hospital) used the term teardrop bladder in their 1950 article describing ‘[t]wo recent cases of pelvic fracture, showing in the opaque cystogram a narrow and elongated configuration which we have dubbed ‘tear-drop bladder’. We believe [this] is caused by extensive perivesical hemorrhage’ 1 (Figure 1). Extensive pelvic hematoma was indeed found to be the cause of the abnormal bladder configuration. Marjorie Ambos and her colleagues 2 (New York University) used the term ‘pear-shaped’ and expanded the etiologic list in their 1977 article. Pelvic lipomatosis, inferior vena cava occlusion, lymphocysts and pelvic lymphadenopathy were other causes for the abnormal bladder shape that they discussed. In addition, they described other findings that might allow a specific diagnosis to be made. ‘Cystogram obtained during intravenous urography and retrograde injection. Bladder shows ‘tear-drop’ shape which is primarily caused by perivesical blood and urine.’ Reprinted from Prather and Kaiser<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref87_1"> <sup>1</sup> </xref>. The bladder in fracture of the bony pelvis; the significance of a ‘tear drop bladder’ as shown by cystogram. J. <italic>Urol.,</italic> <bold>63</bold>, 1019–30, with permission of Williams & Wilkins https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781003076568/34c29fd5-5662-4e8f-b58c-badd7fa5d724/content/fig87_1_B.jpg"/>
