A Comparison of Sonourethrography and Retrograde Urethrography in Evaluation of Anterior Urethral Strictures

Abstract

The urinary tract has restrictions in its lower parts. This problem can be detected by two different methods. Obstruction in the anterior portion of this tract can be diagnosed by some available standard methods. Objective: To assess the general problems in the male urethra specifically in the anterior portion. Methods: It is a prospective and comparative study with a statistical approach, conducted at Bakhtawar Amin Memorial and Trust Hospital, Multan and MTI Mardan Medical Complex, Mardan for the duration of one year from December 2020 to December 2021. The study was done by using ultrasound of high resolution. Then the comparison of the operative conclusions has to be done with retrograde urethrography (RGU) to find out the efficiency of RGU. For this study work, seventy-seven patients were selected. All these patients had some restrictions in the urinary pathway confirmed by retrograde urethrography. Different characteristics of the patients were studied and matched with the available standard methods. By both tests specificity, sensitivity, and overall accuracy of the protocol were also assessed. Different statistical analyses were performed to find out the results. Results: All the seventy-seven patients were having some restriction of urinary pathway, which were detected by sonourethrography and further confirmation was done by other previously verified methods. The retrograde urethrography shows almost very low sensitivity of this particular problem detection. This test was about 60 to 80% sensitive for this diagnosis. This sensitivity is specific for the length of about 1 to 5 cm. These results were compared with the results of sonourethrography. The problem termed as spongiofibrosis was also diagnosed with sensitivity about 76 to 82 %. A number of other problems were also detected by this method like calculi and further confirmation was done at the time of surgery. The probability was greater than 0.001 and difference in frequency was also not so significant. It was less than 0.5. Conclusions: Both of the methods have equal efficiency for the detection of different restrictions in urinary tract. When other parameters were assessed; it was inferred that sonourethrography is more efficient method