Preoperative CT voiding cystourethrography using 16-multidetector CT in female urethral diverticulum

To evaluate the clinical usefulness of preoperative CT voiding cystourethrography (CT-VCUG) using 16-multidetector computed tomography for female urethral diverticula. Preoperative CT-VCUG was performed in 15 consecutive patients who underwent urethral diverticulectomy from May 2004 to December 2012. The result of preoperative cystourethroscopy and surgical findings were recorded by a single surgeon and CT-VCUG findings including the location of osita were retrospectively reviewed by another urologist who was blinded to the surgical finding. The location of the ostium detected on CT-VCUG was compared descriptively with the intraoperative surgical and preoperative cystourethroscopic findings. A total of 14 consecutive patients who underwent preoperative CT-VCUG and urethral diverticulectomy were included in the analysis. Ostia were detected on CT-VCUG in all cases, whereas ostia were identified in 10 patients (71.4%) by cystourethroscopy. Ostia were located between the 4 and 8 o'clock direction. Mean distance from the bladder neck to the ostium was 24.2 mm. Circumferential and horseshoe shaped diverticula were observed in 6 and 4 patients, respectively. The surgical findings correlated well with the CT findings. Preoperative CT-VCUG can be useful in identifying the ostia of urethral diverticula in patients scheduled for urethral diverticulectomy and can provide structural information, useful to establish surgical strategy.