Retrograde urethrosonography with SonoVue in strictures of the male urethra: a pilot study

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of SonoVue urethrosonography in diagnosing the adult male anterior urethral strictures pathology in comparison with retrograde urethrography.Material and method: We standardised the method and performed a comparative study evaluating the diagnosis of urethral strictures using retrograde urethrography and retrograde ultrasonographic exploration with SonoVue on 6 male patients.Results: In all patients, the existence of urethral stricture, localization and its extension were confirmed. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonographic exploration brought additional categories of information: the degree of spongiofibrosis, the elasticity of the urethral walls and the presence of urethral lithiasis. There were no periprocedural incidents.Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility and innocuity of urethral ultrasound with SonoVue. Real-time ultrasound exploration highlights aspects that are not seen in radiological examination, so the method can be complementary or alternative to this procedure.