Evaluation of urethral strictures and associated abnormalities using high-resolution and color Doppler ultrasound.

OBJECTIVES

To study the role of urethral sonography and color Doppler imaging in the evaluation of patients with urethral strictures and associated abnormalities.

METHODS

We reviewed our experience with 41 urethral sonographic studies in 35 patients and compared them to 33 retrograde urethrograms. For 6 recent cases, we also used color Doppler imaging to assess spongiosal tissue blood flow and the location of urethral arteries.

RESULTS

Both retrograde urethrography and urethral sonography assessed the caliber and length of the strictures well. Urethral sonography provided additional information about stricture involvement of the spongiosum, location of urethral arteries, and associated abnormalities (that is, periurethral abscess and urethrocutaneous fistula). This information was useful for the clinical stratification of urethral stricture disease and the planning of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

With the advantages of avoiding radiation to testis, providing real-time evaluation of the distensibility of the urethra, and having the capacity of assessing spongiosum and periurethral tissue involvement and urethral artery location, urethral sonography appears to offer more than retrograde urethrography for the evaluation of anterior urethral stricture.