ROLE OF SONOURETHROGRAM IN EVALUATION OF SHORT SEGMENT ANTERIOR URETHRAL STRICTURE

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Retrograde urethrography (RGU) is the standard imaging study for the evaluation of anterior male urethra. Sonourethrography(SUG) offers comparable information with added advantages. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 196 males with anterior urethral stricture studied. RGU/MCU, sonourethrogram and urethroscopy done in all and information regarding urethral stricture was compared keeping urethroscopy as gold standard. Strictures > 4 cm were excluded. Chiou et al classication used to classify urethral stricture on SUG. Bulbar urethra was the most common si RESULTS & DISCUSSION: te for urethral stricture. Sensitivity of sonourethrography for location of stricture was >98%. Strength of agreement between SUG and urethroscopy for location of stricture was very good. Number of the strictures were diagnosed with higher accuracy on urethroscopy than SUG and RGU respectively. Kappa value for number of strictures was suggestive of very good agreement between SUG & urethroscopy. Length of stricture in urethroscopy was better correlating with SUG. Both RGU and SUG were equally sensitive in location and number of stricture while RGU correlated poorly in the bulbar urethra, older studies also showing RGU underestimating the length of stricture in bulbar urethra. Sonourethrography also providing additional information regarding periurethral pathologies. The complications encountered during RGU were contrast intravasation, pain during the procedure, urethral bleeding and UTI after the procedure. During sonourethrography no signicant complication noted. CONCLUSIONS: Sonourethrography is a multiplanar, easily available and cost-effective technique for evaluating anterior urethra without radiation exposure. When compared with RGU, sonourethrography is equally efcacious with added important technical advantages which help surgeons to plan surgical procedure.