Evaluation of non-invasive tests as diagnostic tools in assessment of bladder outlet obstruction severity in men with anterior urethral stricture

Introduction The aim of this article was to evaluate non-invasive tests, which were typically used in preoperative diagnosis of male patients with anterior urethral strictures in the assessment of the urethral resistance caused by urethral occlusion. Material and methods A total of 63 adult males with confirmed urethral stricture and aged below 55 years old were enrolled in the study. Data obtained from non-invasive tests such as uroflowmetry (UF), ultrasound examination (USG), and questionnaires such as from The International Prostatic Symptom Score (IPSS), and The Patient-Reported Outcome Measure for Urethral Stricture Surgery (USS-PROM) were analyzed. Results Among all analyzed non-invasive tests, bladder wall thickness (BWT) showed the highest correlation with the degree of urethral occlusion described as percentage of preserved urethral lumen (r = -0.70; p <0.0001). UF variables presented medium degree of correlation, with maximum flow rate (Qmax) as the best parameter (p = 0.45; p = 0.0005). Results from both questionnaires did not show any correlation with the severity of the urethral stricture. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that only BWT was an independent predictor in detection degree of urethral occlusion. Conclusions UF and USG seem to be useful additional diagnostic tools in assessment severity of urethral occlusion in men suffering from anterior urethral stricture. Among them, USG had the highest correlation with degree of urethral occlusion.