Ultrasonographic detection of false passages arising from the posterior urethra in spinal cord injury patients.

We report on false passages arising from the posterior urethra in 10 male spinal cord injury patients, of which 9 were well visualized on transrectal sonography, with real-time linear array equipment that was used to monitor a urodynamics catheter being introduced into the prostatic urethra. The only false passage not detected was at the bladder neck. Nevertheless the data show that transrectal sonography is an excellent tool to demonstrate false passages arising from the prostatic urethra. All 10 false passages were unroofed successfully with excellent results.