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A urethral stricture is internal damage to the urethra caused by injury or disease such as urinary tract infections or other forms of urethritis.
Presentation
During the early stages of the condition, the subject will 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.
Causes
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 STD's. 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.
The urethra runs between the legs very close to the skin, leaving it vulnerable to trauma. Simply falling off a bike and hitting between the legs may result in the formation of scar tissue within the urethra tract. This condition is often not found until the patient has problems urinating because these are painless growths of scar tissue.
Passage of kidney stones through the urethra can be painful and subsequently can lead to urethral strictures.
See also
External links
"Urethral stricture"