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Published on: June 21, 2024
Cowper's glands and ducts: radiological findings in children
G Beluffi1, P Fiori, L Pietrobono
1Unità Operativa Semplice di Radiologia Pediatrica, U.O.C. di Radiodiagnostica, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Viale Golgi 19, I-27100, Pavia, Italy. g.beluffi@smatteo.pv.it
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to describe the radiological features of simple or dilated (syringocele) Cowper's ducts in a large paediatric population.
Materials And Methods:
Voiding cystourethrography procedures performed during the past 24 years were evaluated taking into special account urethral morphology. The procedures were performed to study all sorts of possible urinary affections.
Results:
A total of 1,676 male children (age: newborn to 18 years) underwent 2,340 voiding cystourethrographies. Opacification of Cowper's ducts was observed in nine children (0.53%) - in six (0.35%) as a thin, radiopaque image running parallel to the inferior edge of the membranous-bulbar urethra and in three (0.18%) as a dilated structure (syringocele); this was a source of significant voiding problems.
Conclusions:
Opacification of Cowper's ducts - even if rare - has to be recognised as a possible anatomical finding during voiding cystourethrography in paediatric patients. An accessory finding devoid of pathological meaning in most cases, it can, however, be a possible cause of voiding disorders in some instances.
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Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...