Cuerpos extraños en uretra: un diagnóstico que se ha de considerar en pacientes con síntomas urinarios bajos

Abstract

PurposeTo describe two cases of urethral foreign bodies as the etiology of obstructive urinary tract symptoms, and to review updated literature. MethodsThe cases presented are two male patients with foreign bodies in urethra that had lower urinary tract obstructive symptoms. A comprehensive literature review was performed in different databases to support the discussion of the cases. ResultsThe first case describes a patient with a permanent urethral catheter, who was admitted to the emergency room due to urinary retention. He had swelling and tortuosity in the penile/bulbar urethra and required the extraction of a foreign body (that was not the catheter) by perineal approach surgery. The second case describes a patient with no relevant medical history, who presented with obstructive urinary symptoms. The physical examination revealed a swelling in the distal urethra (stone-like). He was taken to surgery, and a foreign body (a calcified wire) was found by performing an end-to-end distal urethroplasty. Conclusions:The presence of foreign bodies in urethra requires a high index of suspicion, and its treatment should be performed by the approach that will cause less damage to the urethra of the patient, in order to preserve the integrity of the urinary tract in the future.© 2012 Sociedad Colombiana de Urología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.