Three-Dimensional Imaging of Urethral Stricture Disease and Urethral Pathology for Operative Planning

Diagnosing urethral pathology can prove difficult, as clinically, the presentation is often nonspecific and may be suggestive of multiple etiologies. Therefore, detailed and accurate urethral imaging in both males and females is critical. Since the early 1900s, conventional imaging studies including RUG and VCUG, with adjunct cystourethroscopy, have remained the gold standard diagnostic techniques to evaluate urethral pathology. However, limitations of conventional imaging have generated interest in finding alternative imaging modalities with comparable, if not superior, diagnostic accuracy, the goal being a more complete assessment of urethral pathology and anatomy that would allow for appropriate surgical planning. Imaging modalities with three-dimensional (3D) capabilities may provide more comprehensive information regarding urethral diseases through a more detailed illustration of periurethral soft tissue structures. Whether or not these imaging modalities will replace conventional studies is unclear, though there is an increasing body of literature that support their use.