This site is targeted at medical and radiology professionals, contains user contributed content, and material that may be confusing to a lay audience. Use of this site implies acceptance of our Terms of Use.

Bladder outlet obstruction

Dr Praveen Jha and Dr Nasir Siddiqui et al.

A bladder outlet obstruction as the name implies results from an obstruction of the urethra/bladder outlet ¹.

Clinical Presentation

Patients often present with difficulty in urination, retention and urinary discomfort ².

Pathophysiology

Obstruction can be caused by multiple eitolgies but is most often seen from urethral strictures, mass lesions within the periurethral region, prostate enlargement, and congenital urethral valves¹.

Radiographic features

On radiographic evaluation, the bladder wall appears thickened and trabeculated. Urinary retention is noted with increased post void residual on sonographic or voiding studies.

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to relieve the obstruction and prevent urinary tract infections and renal compromise. This can be done by either catheterization or surgical intervention depending on the etiology of the obstruction ².