Risk factors of urethral diverticula in male patients with spinal cord injury

A case-control study in a series of 55 males with urethral diverticula (UD) and their correspondent control, matched by age and time of radiological assessments.

To evaluate the risk factors to develop UD in males with spinal cord injury (SCI) and the place in the urethra where they are, most commonly, allocated.

Toledo, Spain.

Clinical histories and urodynamic studies, of all patients, were reviewed. The study was completed with a telephone survey according to an established protocol.

The univariate analysis study showed the following risk factors: the age of onset of the spinal injury, the sphincterotomy procedure, personal history of lower urinary tract infections (LUTIs) and the chronic need of either indwelling catheter (IC) or the external condom drainage (ECD). Regarding the location of the UD, we have found the stress urinary incontinence as the only risk factor to develop UD in the prostatic urethra.On the other hand, we can conclude that the sphincterotomy, the ECD, the personal history of LUTIs and the detrusor external sphincter dyssynergia seem to be risk factors to develop diverticula in the bulbo-membranous urethra. Finally, we could point out the IC as the only risk factor for penile UD. Multivariate analysis showed that all of these risk factors were independent among them except the age of the onset of the injury and the ECD for UD in the bulbo-membranous urethra.

According to our study, there is evidence of some specific risk factors for the development of UD in male patients with SCI, and therefore we should adopt the appropriate preventive measures to prevent them.