Urethral stricture
From WikiMD's WELLNESSPEDIA
Editor-In-Chief: Prab R Tumpati, MD
Obesity, Sleep & Internal medicine
Founder, WikiMD Wellnesspedia &
W8MD's weight loss doctor NYC
Philadelphia GLP-1 weight loss and GLP-1 clinic NYC
| Urethral stricture | |
|---|---|
| File:Gray1142.png | |
| Synonyms | N/A |
| Pronounce | N/A |
| Specialty | N/A |
| Symptoms | Decreased urine stream, urinary retention, urinary tract infection |
| Complications | Bladder damage, kidney damage, urinary incontinence |
| Onset | Any age, more common in males |
| Duration | Chronic |
| Types | N/A |
| Causes | Injury, infection, surgery, catheterization |
| Risks | Trauma, sexually transmitted infections, prostate surgery |
| Diagnosis | Cystoscopy, retrograde urethrogram, urine flow test |
| Differential diagnosis | Benign prostatic hyperplasia, urethral cancer, urinary tract infection |
| Prevention | N/A |
| Treatment | Urethral dilation, urethrotomy, urethroplasty |
| Medication | Antibiotics for infection |
| Prognosis | Variable, depends on severity and treatment |
| Frequency | More common in males, rare in females |
| Deaths | N/A |
Narrowing of the lumen of the urethra.
Causes of urethral stricture[edit]
- Scar tissue from surgery.
- Infection
- Injury
- Tumor
Other factors[edit]
- Sexually transmitted infection (STI)
- Urethral catheter or cystoscope
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
- Injury to the pelvic area
- Repeated urethritis
Symptoms[edit]
- Blood in the semen
- Discharge from the urethra
- Bloody or dark urine
- Strong urge to urinate and frequent urination
- Inability to empty bladder (urinary retention)
- Painful urination or difficulty urinating
- Loss of bladder control
- Increased frequency or urgency to urinate
- Pain in the lower abdomen and pelvic area
- Slow urine stream (may develop suddenly or gradually) or spraying of urine
- Swelling of the penis
Physical examination[edit]
- A physical exam may show the following:
- Decreased urinary stream
- Discharge from the urethra
- Enlarged bladder
- Enlarged or tender lymph nodes in the groin
- Enlarged or tender prostate
- Hardness on the under surface of the penis
- Redness or swelling of the penis
- Sometimes, the exam reveals no abnormalities.
Investigations[edit]
- Cystoscopy
- Postvoid residual (PVR) volume
- Retrograde urethrogram
- Tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea
- Urinalysis
- Urinary flow rate
- Urine culture
Treatment[edit]
- The urethra may be dilated during cystoscopy.
- An open urethroplasty may be done for longer strictures.
- If no other treatments work, a urinary diversion called an appendicovesicostomy (Mitrofanoff procedure) or another type of surgery may be done. This lets you drain your bladder through the wall of the abdomen using a catheter or a stoma bag.
Prognosis[edit]
- The outcome is often excellent with treatment.
- Urethral stricture may totally block urine flow.
Prevention[edit]
- Practicing safer sex may decrease the risk of getting STIs and urethral stricture.
- Treating urethral stricture quickly may prevent kidney or bladder complications.
| Diseases of the urinary tract | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
