Urethral stricture

A urethral stricture is a narrowing of the urethra caused by injury or disease such as urinary tract infections or other forms of urethritis. During the early stages of the condition, the subject may experience pain during urination and the inability to fully empty the bladder. It is not uncommon for the bladder's capacity to significantly increase due to this inability to completely void. Urethral strictures may cause problems with urination, in... more

A urethral stricture is a narrowing of the urethra caused by injury or disease such as urinary tract infections or other forms of urethritis. During the early stages of the condition, the subject may experience pain during urination and the inability to fully empty the bladder. It is not uncommon for the bladder's capacity to significantly increase due to this inability to completely void. Urethral strictures may cause problems with urination, including in certain cases the complete inability to urinate, which is a medical emergency. Urethral strictures are generally caused by either injury-related trauma to the tract or by a viral or bacterial infection of the tract, often caused by certain STDs. The body's attempt to repair the damage caused by the injury or infection creates a buildup of scar tissue in the tract resulting in a significant narrowing or even closure of the passage. Instrumentation of the urethra, particularly before the advent of flexible uro-endoscopy, was (and... less