If, however, one of the ureters has a dead end, a stricture or stenosis (narrowing), or a leaky ureterovesical valve (between the ureter and bladder), infection is the likely result.
Ureters can be obstructed anywhere along their course, though the ureterovesical valve is the most common place.
Ureterovesical valve-A sphincter (an opening controlled by a circular muscle), located where the ureter enters the bladder, that keeps urine from flowing backward toward the kidney.
Bladder diverticula may be multiple, and they often occur at the ureterovesical junction (the entrance of the upper urinary system into the bladder).
Ureterovesical junction-The point where the ureter joins the bladder.