Value of the perineal ultrasound in the diagnosis of anterior urethral stricture in male patients

Abstract

Objectives: Determine the role of perineal ultrasound in the diagnosis of anterior urethral strictures and assessment of peristenotic fibrosis. Material and Method: Thirty healthy adult male and thirty patients with suspected urethral stricture have had urethral ultrasound after distension of urethra with a normal saline. The thirty patents also underwent retrograde urethrogram (RUG). Results: Average diameters healthy urethra were 11.6 +/-3.1 mm at penile level, 11.2 +/-2.7 mm at the bulbar level, and 9.7 +/-2.88 mm at the bulbomembranous level. The periurethral tissue thickness averaged 2.7 +/-0.5 mm at penile level, from 3.5 +/-0.65 mm to bulbar level and 3.8±0.6 mm at the bulbomembranous level. Ultrasound made the diagnosis of 31 stenosis or 96.87%. On ultrasound, the length of the stenosis was significantly longer than that seen on retrograde urethrogram with a significant difference between the two techniques (P = 0.045). There is also a significant difference in diameter of urethral strictures between the two techniques. The thickness of the periurethral tissue at the level urethral stenosis was more than that measured in a healthy zone in all cases, whatever the urethral portion concerned. There was not no correlation between periurethral tissue thickness and degree of stenosis. Conclusion: Urethral ultrasound is a method that allows us to make the diagnosis of urethral stricture and to assess periurethral fibrosis. It could validly replace retrograde urethrogram in diagnosing anterior urethral stricture.