[Morphological changes in the stenotic distal portion of the urethra in girls]

Morphological changes were examined in the distal urethra with its stenosis in 40 girls aged under 10 years. Intraoperative (urethromeatotomy) biopsy specimens were taken via a wedge cut made in the inferior meatal wall. The specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, as well as with picrofuxin by the van Gieson method. Histological investigations showed that during urethral stenosis, the underlying pathological process in 35 patients was chronic urethritis with extended leukocyte infiltration onto the mucosal and submucosal layers. Leukocyte infiltration was diffuse in 14 girls, whereas in 21 it was focal to form microabscesses in some cases. In addition, the submucosal layer of the distal urethra displayed vegetations of the connective tissue that had been sclerosing. The frequency of abundant vegetations in the connective tissue, its fibrosis and sclerosis increased in relation to a history of the disease, which corresponded to the age of children in most cases. The distal urethral stenoses were classified as acquired narrowings of inflammatory genesis. In 5 patients, the mucosal and submucosal layers underwent no inflammatory changes and their distal urethral stenoses were applied to congenital or hereditary ones. With irreversible sclerotic changes, urethromeatotomy along with disruption of the fibrous annulus is one of the major tools for treating distal urethral stenosis.