Endometriosis presenting as a urethral diverticulum: a case report

Pelvic pain is a common complaint among women of childbearing age. It has an extensive differential diagnosis that at times can make it difficult to determine its etiology. One must therefore rely on the characteristics of the physical examination, symptoms and imaging studies. However, in doing so, one should keep in mind that many diseases mimic one another. Physicians must be careful not to fall into the trap of simply assigning a specific disease to a given group of symptoms.

A 35-year-old woman, gravida 2, para 0020, presented to a clinic complaining of left lower abdominal pain. She had a history of dyspareunia, dysmenorrhea, urinary frequency and numerous urinary tract infections. Previous laparoscopies had been negative for endometriosis. Physical examination demonstrated a 1.5-cm mass left of the midurethra. No pus was expressed through the urethra with cyst massage. Imaging showed a 1.1 x 1.1-cm lesion in the left posterolateral aspect of the urethra consistent with a urethral diverticulum. Uterine adenomyosis was also noted. Although clinical symptoms, physical examination and imaging suggested a urethral diverticulum, a vaginal endometriotic cyst was encountered at surgery. Pathologic evaluation of the surgically excised lesion revealed endometriosis, revealed endometriosis.

In this case, clinical findings, location and imaging characteristics of a periurethral endometriotic lesion suggested a urethral diverticulum. Endometriosis should be considered in patients with a history of pelvic pain who present with urinary frequency and a periurethral lesion.