Abstract

Objective: Urethral stones are rare among all urinary system stones. There is limited data in the literature on the management of urethral stones. In this study, we aimed to present our experience of patients diagnosed with urethral stone in the light of the literature.

Methods: This retrospective study included 24 consecutive patients diagnosed with urethral stone between January 2017 and December 2020. Demographic data, clinical features, primary treatment approaches, peroperative and postoperative data were analysed.

Results: Twenty-four patients with a mean age of 44±20 years (2-73) were included in the study. The clinical presentation of the patients was acute urinary retention in 14 (58.3%) patients and lower urinary tract symptoms in 10 (41.6%) patients. The most common stone location was posterior urethra in 13 (54.2%) patients and anterior urethra in 11 (45.8%) patients. The mean stone size was 10±3 (5-15) mm. Fourteen patients had a history of previous stone surgery or stone expulsion. Two patients underwent internal urethrotomy and one patient underwent cystolithotripsy simultaneously. Surgical success stone-free rate (SFR) was 100%.

Conclusion: Urethral stones are rarely seen in urological practice. The management of urethral stone is uncertain and depends on personal experience. Holimum laser lithotripsy with URS which is minimally invasive with minimal damage to the urethral mucosa, should be considered as the first choice.