A stricture, or narrowing, in the urethra (the tube that passes urine out of the body), may be caused by injury, illness, or inflammation. The common symptoms of a urethral stricture are slow stream, pain during urination, dribbling during urination and the sensation that the bladder is not completely empty. This may be caused by diseases such as urinary tract infections or sexually transmitted infections. The cause may also be due to a physical injury, as the urethra lies just underneath the skin and is quite susceptible to physical trauma.
This condition may be treated with or without surgery, depending on the severity. Instrumental treatments (using medical tools but not general anesthesia) include dilatation to open the urethral stricture at various intervals. If this is not a suitable choice for the patient, the physician may choose a urethrotomy (endoscopic incision of the urethra) or urethroplasty (repair of the urethra).
