Role of urodynamics in management of urethral diverticulum in females.

This report deals with 10 female patients with urethral diverticula, 8 of whom were also found to have findings of stress incontinence. This association was proved by urodynamic studies. Three patients were seen with incontinence postdiverticulectomy. Seven patients were evaluated prior to diverticulectomy, and of these 5 had anatomic changes of stress urinary incontinence. Those patients in whom the preoperative evaluation considered them to be at risk for development of stress incontinence postdiverticulectomy were treated with a prophylactic urethropexy. Patients so treated were continent and voided well and were probably spared having a postoperative problem with incontinence. The role of urodynamic techniques in the detection of any association between the diverticulum and a possible risk of postdiverticulectomy incontinence, and how to recognize the problem and its correction before it becomes clinically manifest are the stated purposes of this report.