Prospective study of role of conventional urethrography versus magnetic resonance urethrography in the evaluation and management of male stricture urethra

Introduction: Male urethral stricture is common entity encountered in urology practice. Urethral stricture could be the sequel of trauma, instrumentation, inflammation or Idiopathic and can involve anterior, posterior or both segments of urethra. Stricture disease of male urethra has long been evaluated by conventional Ascending Urethrography, which is considered as the standard imaging technique of urethra. Magnetic Resonance Urethrography (MRU) has the ability to delineate anatomic details of urethra and periurethral tissue with 3D orientation of the lesion.
Methods: It is hospital based cross sectional study conducted on 36 clinically suspected male urethral stricture patient. All patients were evaluated with AUG/OUG and MRU with regards to location, number, length of stricture, false tracts, spongiofibrosis and were compared with intra-operative findings.
Results: Conventional Urethrography and MRU both have equal sensitivity and specificity for detection of location and number of strictures. Length of stricture measured by MRU is well correlated with surgical findings also the extent of Spongiofibrosis were accurately detected by MRU in all patients.
Conclusion: Conventional Urethrography and MRU both are equally helpful in detecting stricture urethra but MRU was superior for accurate assessment of length of the stricture, extent of spongiofibrosis, density of scar tissue and degree of prostatic displacement.