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A urethral diverticulum is a condition that can cause genitourinary symptoms including urinary urgency, frequency, leakage of urine, discharge from the urethra and/or discomfort with intercourse. They can also be present without any symptoms. Surgery to remove these lesions can be performed for symptomatic patients.
A urethral diverticulum is an outpouching of urethral tissue into the surrounding area. When present some women may notice a small bump or bulge below the urethra, the opening where you urinate from. Overall, this is an uncommon condition that is typically found in people aged 30–50 years.
This can cause a variety of symptoms including the following:
Urethral diverticulum can be caused by recurrent infections, previous pelvic surgeries, and in very rare cases can be present at birth. These lesions may also be present without any symptoms.
Diagnosis often involves a pelvic exam by a health care provider and imaging (i.e., MRI, ultrasonography). You will be referred to a specialist, such as a urogynecologist or urologist, who may perform a cystoscopy to further examine the lesion.
Treatment usually involves surgery. Your doctor may give you antibiotics before your surgery if there is concern for an active infection. After surgery your doctor may keep a bladder catheter in place to help with your recovery. If there are no symptoms or concern for cancer, a urethral diverticulum can be closely watched and may not require surgery. Delay in diagnosis of urethral diverticulum and treatment can lead to recurrent urinary tract infections, stone formation, and more rarely, cancer.
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