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Home » Female Urology » Urethral caruncle & prolapse

Urethral caruncle & prolapse

Urethral prolapse

  • Circumferential herniation or eversion of urethral mucosa.
  • Appears as beefy-red donut shaped lesion at meatus or discoloured and darker.
  • Commonly noted in 2 x populations – postmenopausal women and prepubertal girls.
  • May be asymptomatic, or have bleeding/spotting or urinary symptoms.
  • Can be observed, treated with Sitz baths and oestrogen, or excised with reapproximation of urethral mucosa to skin of vagina.

 

 

Urethral caruncle

  • Inflammatory lesion, usually seen in post-menopausal women.
  • Reddish exophytic mass. Occasionally thrombose and can become discoloured or purple.
  • Usually posterior and not circumferential.
  • Usually asymptomatic but may have some spotting or bleeding.
  • Can be observed, treated with Sitz baths and oestrogen, or excised.

 

Rare DDx – urethral cancer, melanoma

 

Excision – around a catheter, fine absorbable interrupted sutures to reapproximate mucosa to vagina, ensure open and no stenosis, catheter for 5 days or so.