Incidence of Urethral Stricture in Patients With Spinal Cord Injury Treated With Clean Intermittent Self-Catheterization.

OBJECTIVE

To report the incidence of urethral stricture and its management in patients with spinal cord injury treated with clean intermittent self-catheterization (CIC).

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

The clinical records of 333 patients with spinal cord injury treated with CIC since 2001 were identified, and those who developed a urethral stricture during their follow-up, including their treatment and results achieved, were analyzed.

RESULTS

The patients had a median age at the time of injury of 27 years, of which only 14 patients (4.2%) developed urethral stricture at a mean duration of self-catheterization of 9 years; 86% of them were treated with urethrotomy, without recurrence through a mean of 1-year follow-up. There are no previous reports of rates of urethral stricture in this type of patients in our institution; the rate found is considerably low, as is the recurrence after urethrotomy, which can be decreased by the continuous self-obturation achieved with catheterization.

CONCLUSION

Urethral stricture as a complication of CIC in patients with spinal cord injury has a low incidence and can be effectively treated in those who develop it.