L N S C3: A Proposed classification system for female urethral diverticula

✍ Scribed by Gary E. Leach; Larry T. Sirls; Kumaresan Ganabathi; Philippe E. Zimmern

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 521 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0733-2467
• DOI: 10.1002/nau.1930120602

✦ Synopsis

No descriptive criteria for the preoperative classification of female urethral diverticula have been proposed, Consequently, alternative therapies and different treatment series are not easify compared. Since 1982 the authors have evaluated 61 women with urethral diverticula and have identified those preoperative factors critical to an organized surgical approach to urethral diverticula. From this experience, a simple, comprehensive classification system for female urethral diverticula is proposed. The classification system is called Lt"ISIC3. Each letter of the system represents a different characteristic of urethral diverticula. L =-Location, the site of the diverticulum, i.e., distal, mid, or proximal urethra, with or N = Number, whether single or multiple diverticula are present. S = Size, expressed in centimeters (cm). C3 = Configuration, Communication, and Continence without extension beneath the bladder neck. Configuration (CI) describes whether the diverticulum is single, muitilocu-~ommunica~ion (C2) indicates the site of communication with the urethral Continence (C3) is the presence of genuine stress urinary incontinence. lated, or saddle shaped. lumen, i.e., distal, mid, or proximal urethra. Adhering to this format provides the surgeon a systematic means of approaching a urethral diverticulum and thus may minimize postoperative complications. Finally, the authors encourage other surgeons reporting series of urethral diverticula to adopt this system so that standard terminology may allow accurate comparison of surgical results.