[Value of perineal sonography for diagnosing anterior urethral stenosis].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the value of perineal sonography in the diagnosis of urethral stenosis and evaluation of surrounding fibrosis. Materials and methods. Fifty-eight healthy subjects underwent urethral sonography. Thirty-two patients with suspected urethral stenosis underwent sonography after retrograde distension of the urethra using normal saline and retrograde urethrogram and voiding cystourethrogram.


RESULTS
The mean diameters of the healthy urethra varied from 11 to 15 mm. The mean thickness of normal periurethral tIssue was between 2 and 4mm. Sonography detected 34 stenoses (97.4%). The length of the stenosis was significantly longer at sonography compared to retrograde urethrogram and voiding cystourethrogram. No significant difference was found between both techniques when measuring urethral diameter. In all cases, the thickness of periurethral tIssues was greater at the stenotic level than at a normal level, irrespective of the involved segment. There was no correlation between the thickness of periurethral tIssues and the degree of stenosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Urethral sonography is a method that permits diagnosis of urethral stenosis and evaluation of periurethral fibrosis. It may replace retrograde urethrogram and voiding cystourethrogram in the diagnosis of post infectious stenosis.
Ouattara
D N
DN
Service de Radiologie, Côte d'Ivoire. ouattaradilai@africaonline.co.ci
N'zi
K P
KP
Diabaté
A S
AS
Coulibaly
N
N
Dédé
N S
NS
Yapo
P
P
Blahoua
B
B
Sangaré
S
S
Djédjé
A T
AT
D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D010502:Perineum; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D014525:Urethral Stricture / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014563:Urodynamics; D014567:Urography / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards