urethrocele /yo͝orē″thrəsēl/ [Gk, urethra + kele, hernia] , a herniation of the urethra in females. It is characterized by a protrusion of a segment of the urethra and the connective tissue surrounding it into the anterior wall of the vagina. A herniation that is slight and high in the vagina may be palpable only on digital examination when the patient strains downward; one that is large and low in the anterior wall may bulge visibly at the vaginal introitus. A large urethrocele can cause difficulty in voiding, some degree of incontinence, urinary tract infection, and dyspareunia. The condition may be congenital or acquired and may be secondary to obesity, parturition, or poor muscle tone. Surgical repair is the usual treatment. Also called urethral diverticula.
