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Syringocele: Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

Syringocele is a cystic dilatation of portions of the bulbourethral glands (Cowper glands).

Causes and Symptoms of Syringoceles

The cause is thought to be a congenital narrowing of the excretory duct (retention cyst), which may also develop after trauma or infection (Bugeja et al., 2020). In the course of the disease, communication to the urethra may develop (open syringocele), and symptoms include discharge, post-dripping, hematuria, or dysuria. In closed syringocele, compression of the urethra leads to obstructive micturition symptoms; in addition, local discomfort results from the mass.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis is possible with perineal ultrasound imaging, urethrography, cystoscopy, and MRI. Small syringoceles can be treated with endoscopic deroofing (marsupialization), larger syringoceles are resected via a perineal approach with reconstruction of the urethral defect.

References

S. Bugeja, A. Frost, S. Ivaz, M. Dragova, D. E. Andrich, and A. R. Mundy, “Syringoceles of Cowper’s ducts and glands in adult men.,” Asian J Androl, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 129–133, 2020.

  Deutsche Version: Syringozele