[Endoscopic internal urethrotomy. Retrospective study of 47 cases (author's transl)]

The authors report their experience of 58 patients undergoing endoscopic internal urethrotomy for urethral stenosis. In 47 with a follow up of 6 months or more, the following information has been obtained : - deep longitudinal section of the urethral stenosis, at 12 o'clock, passing widely beyond the diseased area, usually suffices; - the essential aetiology of the stenoses treated was represented by iatrogenic urethral trauma in 17 cases out of 47 (36%). The particularly harmful role of urethral catheterisation should be noted. Stenosis of undetermined origin was more common than stenosis of an infectious or non-iatrogenic traumatic origin; - the stenosis was bulbar in almost half the cases and was double in 1/4 of cases. In most instances the length was less than 1.5 cm; - morbidity was slight and mortality nil; - results were considered to be good in 57.5% of cases and no recurrent stenosis occurred beyond the 18th month. Good results were seen essentially in cases of stenosis of infectious origin situated in the penile or bulbar urethra, less than 1.5 cm in length and having undergone calibration by a urethral catheter after endoscopic section for a period of more than three days. Amongst the 12 patients undergoing a second urethrotomy, 5 obtained a lasting successful result. Endoscopic internal urethrotomy is thus a procedure which may recommended, insofar as it offers a high percentage of good results and that in the cases of failure there is no interference with any other urethroplasty procedure.