What Are Urinary Calculi?

Urethral calculus can be divided into two types: primary and secondary. Primary urethral calculus is rare. Most of the stones that occur clinically in the urethra come from the urinary system, especially the bladder, which can also occur in the urethral diverticulum. In men, stones are mainly embedded in the urethra, urethral fossa, or outer urethral orifice of the prostate. Occurs in children 1 to 10 years old, 90% of whom are male. The clinical manifestations are extremely thin urinary lines, urinary retention and urethral pain.

Basic Information

English name

calculus of urethra

Visiting department

Urology

Common causes

Caused by urethral stricture, infection, retention cyst, etc.

Common symptoms

Difficulty urinating, laborious urination

Causes of urethral calculi

Most urethral stones are caused by kidney, ureter, and bladder stones flowing down the urethra and embedded in the urethra. There are also a few stones that originate from urethral strictures, infections, retention cysts, mucosal damage, diverticulum, and foreign bodies.

Clinical manifestations of urethral stones

Difficulty urinating

Stone incarnation in the urethra can cause dysuria, thinning or dripping of the urine line, and sometimes interruption of urine flow and retention of urine. A complete obstruction occurs with acute urinary retention.

Pain

Urination is sometimes markedly painful and radiates to the head of the penis. Posterior urethral stones have pain in the perineum and scrotum. There is obvious pain and tenderness in the calculus site. If the infection is accompanied by local pain, the purulent discharge from the urethra and the bladder irritation symptoms become worse.

3. Mass

Anterior urethral stones can touch nodular masses on the body of the penis, and some exposed stones can be seen outside the urethra.

4. Urethral diverticulum stones

Female urethral diverticulum stones are mainly symptoms of lower urinary tract infections, which include frequent urination, urgency, urination pain, pyuria, and hematuria. Painful sexual intercourse is a prominent symptom, and sometimes urethral discharge. In addition to urethral secretions and dysuria, stones in the urethral diverticulum of the male can also appear as a gradually enlarged and hard mass below the penis, with obvious tenderness but no symptoms of urination obstruction. Some patients can feel the cystic diverticulum inflated with urinary pressure.

Urethral calculi

Urine routine

Microscopic examination showed more red blood cells and less white blood cells, and pus cells in the urine were also found when the infection was co-infected. The characteristics of urinary sediment crystals are also worth noting. Calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, and uric acid crystals are common.

2. Imaging examination

X-ray urinary plain film or transrectal ultrasound examination can find posterior urethral stones and determine the location and size of the stones.

Diagnosis of urethral stones

Male anterior urethral stones can be reached along the urethra, and posterior urethral stones can be reached by digital rectal examination. Urinary tract stones and diverticulum stones can be reached through the vagina. B- and X-ray examinations help to make a clear diagnosis.

Urethral calculi treatment

The treatment of urethral stones should choose an appropriate method according to the location of the stones. Different parts of the stones use different methods.

1. For example, if the stones are located in the urethral fossa, you can inject sterile liquid paraffin into the urethra, and then push the stones out of the urethral orifice, or use vascular forceps to extend through the urethral orifice to remove the stones.

2. Anterior urethral stones are anesthetized with penile root block, compress the proximal urethra of the stones to prevent the stones from receding, inject sterile liquid paraffin, and then gently push the distal end of the urethra, hook or clamp out. Select lithotripsy under ureteroscope and remove. Avoid rough treatment, try not to do urethral incision and stone, so as to avoid urethral stricture.

3. Posterior urethral stones can be gently pushed into the bladder with a urethral probe, and then treated with bladder stones.