[Changes in urethral and bladder mucosa in a urethral syndrome]

The mucous membrane of the urinary bladder and urethra was studied histologically and electron microscopically in 20 women varying in age from 17 to 70 years who suffered from the urethral syndrome. Chronic urethritis was found in 19 patients, fibrosis of the submucous layer of the urethra in one. In 8 cases urethritis was combined with diffuse cystitis, in 4 with focal inflammation of the urinary bladder neck. Inflammatory changes in the mucous membrane were characterized by diffuse-focal lymphoplasma cell infiltrates, desquamation of transitional epithelium of the bladder and urethra, parapedesis of lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes into the urethra lumen, activation of the fibroblast synthesis with excessive formation of collagen, proliferation of tegmental epithelium of the urethra with formation of deep pockets. The inflammatory etiology of the urethral syndrome of obscure origin is supposed.