[Surgical treatment of female urethral diverticula. Our experience. Bibliographic review].

OBJECTIVES

Female urethral divertilum is a rare disease; its diagnosis has increased with the use of new diagnostic technologies. It must be suspected in women consulting for chronic irritative symptoms without response to conventional treatments. Transvaginal surgical excision is the most accepted therapeutic option. We reviewed their clinical presentations, diagnostic findings, and therapeutic options and report our experience.

METHODS/RESULTS: We retrospectively reviewed our case series, finding 4 patients with the diagnosis of female urethral diverticulum; we performed a bibliographic review.

CONCLUSIONS

Urethral diverticulum is a rare clinical entity which has to be included in the differential diagnosis of women with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms. Clinical presentation may vary from asymptomatic to rich voiding symptoms. The most frequently used diagnostic method is voiding cystourethrogram; other techniques such as transvaginal ultrasound or MRI are very useful for complicated cases. Surgical treatment by transvaginal diverticulectomy with closure in several layers is the most frequent approach. Postoperative complications are rare.