Abstract
Male urethral diverticulum is a localized outpouching extending from and contiguous with the true lumen of the urethral wall. It is a rare entity in men and can be congenital or acquired in origin in one third and two thirds, respectively. It can form along the urethra and communicates with the urethral lumen through a narrow or wide neck. They may be asymptomatic or may evolve with symptoms related to lower urinary tract infection, urinary calculi, urethral and perineal pain, voiding dysfunction and ejaculation complaints. In infancy the urethral diverticulum is usually congenital but in rare instances it can occur in children following traumatic catheterization. Less frequently, a painful mass can be palpated along the urethra, which can bleed or have a purulent discharge. Most acquired male urethral diverticula (UD) are caused by trauma, infection or are iatrogenic as a result of indwelling catheters or urethral stricture surgery, and occasionally after artificial urinary sphincter implantation. Its occurrence can be associated with cancer, most commonly adenocarcinoma, but also squamous cell carcinoma and urothelial cell carcinoma. Most literature related to male urethral diverticulum is based on case reports and small patient series.
In this chapter we will review the etiology, presentation, management and outcomes of male urethral diverticulum and seek to raise clinical suspicion for this rare condition in certain clinical circumstances.
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Martins, N.M., Yatsina, O., Martins, F.E. (2020). Surgical Reconstruction of Male Urethral Diverticulum and Megalourethra. In: Martins, F.E., Kulkarni, S.B., Köhler, T.S. (eds) Textbook of Male Genitourethral Reconstruction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21447-0_19
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