Can female urethral calculus present with acute urinary retention?

Abstract

Urethral calculus is a very rare cause obstructive uropathy. Incidence of urethral calculus is extremely rare, less often in females as compared to males. It is usually associated with genitourinary pathology. Primary or native urethral calculus, formed in situ in the urethra whereas secondary or migratory urethral calculi originate from the kidney or bladder and descend into urethra. Most of the primary urethral stones are formed in association with functional or anatomical pathology such as chronic stasis, urinary tract infection, urethral diverticulum, meatal stenosis, urethral stricture, periurethral abscess or fistulous tract. Diagnosis of urethral calculus is sometimes difficult due to its location, and failure of diagnosis may leads to urethral injury, urinary incontinence or renal insufficiency. We present a case of 50 years old woman with acute retention of urine. On genital examination stone was visible at the urethral meatus. On cysto-urethroscopy, no urethral abnormality was detected. On further ultrasound evaluation, no stone was visualised in the kidney or the bladder. Our case is distinct because no anatomic abnormalities were detected after complete urological evaluation.