Raised global awareness of a rare but serious risk of uterohydronephrosis linked to menstrual cup use
Spotlight on safety A case report that made global headlines
25,000+ views of the study in the first month alone
When Dr Clara Maarup Prip, a urologist and gynaecologist at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, encountered a rare case of kidney swelling (ureterohydronephrosis) caused by a menstrual cup, it was unlike anything she had seen before. The menstrual cup had been compressing the ureter where it enters the bladder, leading to a serious but rare complication. After searching the literature and finding only a handful of similar cases worldwide, Dr Maarup Prip documented the case and submitted the report titled, “Ureterohydronephrosis due to a menstrual cup” 1 to BMJ Case Reports , choosing the journal based on its reputation and guidance from experienced colleagues. Dr Maarup Prip didn’t expect the case report to go viral. Published in BMJ Case Reports in February 2025, the paper caught the attention of health journalists worldwide as a direct result of it being press released by BMJ Group’s media relations team. Within weeks, it had become the basis of 29 news stories from 23 major international outlets. It also prompted four opinion pieces in the UK, the USA, and Russia.
29 media stories across 23 major international outlets
Featured on the BBC World Service Newshour programme and picked up by journalists in the UK, Germany, and the USA Sparked four opinion pieces in the UK, the USA, and Russia, prompting professional and public discussion
Altmetric score of 234 , placing it in the top 5% of all tracked research outputs
Triggered practical guidance: many news outlets included safety advice and how-to videos for the public Demonstrated value with no funding required, just a sharp clinical eye and the right publishing partner
“We weren’t funded, and it didn’t take long to write. But the response shows just how much value a single case report can bring.” Clara Maarup Prip , urologist and gynaecologist, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
Academic literature rarely cites case reports, but that doesn’t mean they lack tangible impact. It just means they need to be measured differently: not by how they affect a journal’s impact factor, but by the value they bring to clinical education, practice, and patient safety.
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