Is routine cystoscopy justified in female stress urinary incontinence?

The investigation of women with SUI the Serbian urologist traditionally begins with cystoscopy to reduced risk of bladder tumor. There is no doubt regarding its ability to detect bladder cancer presented with characteristic symptoms or pathologic results of urinalyses. We discuss its routine use in patients presenting with symptomatology of SUI. The retrospective study was performed in order to evaluate clinical justifiability and cost/benefit ratio of routine cystoscopy in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) whose were surgically treated. We reviewed records of 95 female, mean age 56,5 years (rang 46-78) who underwent SUI surgery at eight-year period. The clinical variables, including urinary symptoms, results of urinalyses, ultrasound records and cystoscopic findings, were obtained from the hospital reports. Insignificantly abnormal cystoscopic findings were reported in 31% patients (vagina-like epithel, trigonitis, uterus wall impression, hyperemia, polypoid proliferation and mild trabeculation). No cases of malignancy were incidentally discovered. In female SUI cystoscopic finding was insignificantly abnormal and was not influenced further therapy and contraindicated the planned SUI surgery. Routine cystoscopy in women with SUI cannot be justified only by customary practice or tradition of older generation urologists.