Role of MR urethrography in assessment of urethral lesions

Aim of the workTo evaluate the utility of magnetic resonance (MR) urethrogram in the diagnosis and characterization of different urethral lesions in comparison with conventional urethrography.Material and methodsThis prospective study included 18 male patients diagnosed to have urethral lesions. All of these patients were evaluated by using conventional urethrography prior to MR imaging. MR urethrography technique included: thick slab fast spin echo T2 (TSFSE) and fast recovery fast spin echo (FRFSE).ResultsThe causes of urethral lesions were: trauma in 13 patients (affecting the anterior urethra in 5 patients, the posterior urethra in 7 patients, the anterior and posterior urethra in one patient).Congenital abnormality in 3 patients at the anterior urethra and infection at the anterior urethra in 2 patients.Conventional urethrography and MRI diagnosed the presence of urethral pathology in all examined patients, However MR urethrography was superior in better delineation and characterization of the urethral pathology in four cases (22.2%) diagnosing prostatic displacement as well as periurethral fibrosis. Conventional urethrography was superior to MR urethrogram in diagnosing a case of diffuse pseudodiverticulosis.ConclusionMR urethrography is a suitable technique for the evaluation of urethral and periurethral abnormalities.