A Diverticulum Is A Small Pouch Or Pocket That Extends From the Urethra
One of the more interesting misdiagnosed patients that we have worked with here at the IC Network was a woman who had struggled with urinary symptoms for years though she was struggling more with urethral rather than bladder discomfort. After years of failed IC therapies, she found a nurse practitioner who suggested an MRI. That test discovered that she had a long pouch or pocket extending from her urethra into nearby tissue. Known as a urethral diverticulum (UD), they can be filled with urine and are prone to developing infections because of poor drainage. When the pocket was surgically removed, her symptoms disappeared completely.
UD is much more common in females then in males and usually appears between the ages of 40 and 70. With the development of sophisticated imaging techniques, the diagnosis of UD has become increasingly common. The true prevalence is still not known since many cases are missed or misdiagnosed simply because no one suspected it.
UD has recently been attributed to repeated infections and/or obstruction of the periurethral glands with subsequent obstruction eventually evolving into UD. Congenital causes or trauma experienced during childbirth has also be suggested!
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