[Female urethra diverticula].
OBJECTIVE
To remind the most relevant features on the presenting clinical picture, diagnosis and treatment of this disease, which is not uncommon although many times is not suspected.


METHODS
We review five cases of female urethra diverticula diagnosed in our department over the last five years. We describe the clinical picture, physical examination, diagnostic tests, as well as treatment undertaken in each, comparing them with current bibliography up to date.


RESULTS
1-Three out of five patients presented a tumor in the anterior vaginal wall; one had stress urinary incontinence and the other recurrent urinary tract infection. 2-The diagnostic methods employed were urethroscopy, retrograde and voiding urethrography, transvaginal ultrasound, and pelvic MRI. The lost two cases were diagnosed by MRI as the only diagnostic test. 3-Surgical treatment was chosen in all cases, being transvaginal diverticulectomy the chosen operation. One patient underwent transurethral diverticulectomy with the Sachse urethrotome for a post operative recurrence.


CONCLUSIONS
Female urethra diverticulum is a clinical entity many times underdiagnosed that should be suspected in every patient with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms. We have several available imaging tests which can confirm the working diagnosis, either alone or in combination, being MRI the newest. Surgical treatment has demonstrated to be curative, with the transvaginal technique as the most effective and therefore the one of choice.
Arzoz Fábregas
Montserrat
M
Servicio de Urologia, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, Espanã. 37031maf@comb.es
Ibarz Servio
Luís
L
Areal Calama
Juan
J
Saladié Roig
J Ma
JM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004240:Diverticulum / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014522:Urethral Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*