Vulva, vagina & female urethra
Female urethra
Benign female urethral lesions
Author: Turki Al-Hussain, M.D.
Last author update: 1 June 2012
Last staff update: 9 December 2021
Copyright: 2002-2023, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: urethra benign lesions female
Table of Contents
Caruncle | Diverticula | Inverted papilloma | Leiomyoma | Nephrogenic (mesonephric) adenoma | Papilloma | Polypoid urethritis | ProlapseCite this page: Al-Hussain T. Benign female urethral lesions. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/vulvabenignfemaleurethralesions.html. Accessed September 30th, 2023.
Caruncle
Definition / general:
- Only in female urethra
- Resembles small raspberry protruding from external urethral meatus
- Considered a reactive polypoid lesion
- Patients may be asymptomatic although commonly they experience dysuria, urinary frequency, obstructive symptoms
- Bleeds easily, may become infected
- Often recurs, perhaps due to persistence of inciting factors
Treatment:
- Excision
Microscopic (histologic) description:
- Three histologic subgroups are described, based on the most prominent component:
- Papillomatous
- Angiomatous
- Granulomatous
- Highly vascularized fibroblastic connective tissue with chronic inflammation, dilated blood vessels, hyperplastic epithelium
- Invaginations of urothelium extending into stroma are common, showing rounded nests with cystic or glandular luminal spaces, similar to urethritis cystica / glandularis, without intestinal metaplasia (Hum Pathol 2012;43:1400)
Differential diagnosis:
Diverticula
Definition / general:
- Usually women, either acquired or congenital
- In adults, usually secondary to infection, trauma, calculus, obstruction, dilation or inflammation of paraurethral gland
- Carcinoma may arise in diverticula very rarely
Microscopic (histologic) description:
- Lined by urothelium, with or without squamous or glandular metaplasia
- Submucosa is often edematous and inflamed
- Nephrogenic adenoma may arise in diverticula
Leiomyoma
Definition / general:
- Most common soft tissue tumor of urethra
- Relatively common in women, rare (< 10 reported) in men
Case report:
Nephrogenic (mesonephric) adenoma
