ABU Urology key terms

A prostate cancer grading system that combines Gleason pattern scores into five prognostic groups, where group 1 reflects low-grade disease and group 5 reflects the most aggressive, poorly differentiated tumors.

Instillation of live attenuated Mycobacterium bovis into the bladder to provoke an immune response that treats and prevents recurrence of non-muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma, especially carcinoma in situ.

Surgical removal of a kidney tumor while preserving the rest of the affected kidney, preferred for small localized masses to reduce the risk of chronic kidney disease compared with radical nephrectomy.

A serine protease produced by prostate epithelium that is measured in serum; elevated values may indicate prostate cancer, benign enlargement, or inflammation, so results are interpreted with age, exam, and biopsy.

A flat, high-grade, non-papillary urothelial malignancy confined to the mucosa that appears red and velvety at cystoscopy and carries a high risk of progression to muscle-invasive disease.

Surgical removal of retroperitoneal lymph nodes along the great vessels, used for staging and treating testicular germ cell tumors and sometimes for residual masses after chemotherapy.

A hollow tube placed over a guidewire into the ureter during retrograde intrarenal surgery to facilitate repeated passage of a flexible ureteroscope, improve irrigation flow, and lower intrarenal pressure.

A minimally invasive procedure in which a tract is created through the flank into the kidney to remove large or complex stones using an endoscope and stone fragmentation devices.

A noninvasive treatment that focuses acoustic shock waves on a urinary stone to fragment it into smaller pieces that pass spontaneously through the urinary tract.

A magnesium ammonium phosphate calculus that forms when urease-producing bacteria alkalinize urine, often producing large branching staghorn stones that require complete removal to prevent recurrence.

A flexible plastic tube placed in the ureter to maintain drainage from the kidney to the bladder, commonly after stone surgery or for obstruction, often causing flank discomfort and urinary symptoms.

A CT attenuation measurement used to estimate stone density and composition; higher values generally predict greater resistance to shockwave lithotripsy and help guide treatment selection.

An involuntary contraction of the bladder muscle during filling, demonstrated on urodynamics, that produces urgency, frequency, and sometimes leakage in patients with overactive bladder.

The lowest intravesical pressure at which urine leaks during a cough or Valsalva maneuver in a patient without a detrusor contraction; low values suggest intrinsic sphincter deficiency.

The volume of urine remaining in the bladder after voluntary voiding, measured by ultrasound or catheterization and used to assess emptying function and risk of retention.

A therapy that delivers electrical stimulation to sacral nerve roots through an implanted device to modulate bladder and bowel reflexes, used for refractory urgency, frequency, and non-obstructive retention.

A neurologically caused failure of the external urethral sphincter to relax during detrusor contraction, producing high bladder pressures and incomplete emptying, typically after spinal cord injury.

A standardized pelvic organ prolapse staging system that measures six defined vaginal points relative to the hymen, allowing reproducible description of prolapse severity and compartment involvement.

An abnormal dilation of the pampiniform plexus veins, usually on the left, associated with impaired testicular function, pain, and male infertility, and potentially correctable by microsurgical ligation.

Absence of sperm in the ejaculate, classified as obstructive or non-obstructive; evaluation includes repeat semen analysis, hormonal testing, and genetic studies to determine cause and fertility options.

A drug that blocks phosphodiesterase type 5, increasing cyclic GMP in cavernosal smooth muscle and improving erections in response to sexual stimulation; examples include sildenafil and tadalafil.

A clinical syndrome of low testosterone with symptoms such as reduced libido, fatigue, and loss of muscle mass, confirmed by morning serum measurements and classified as primary or secondary.

Retrograde flow of urine from the bladder into the ureter and kidney, often detected after childhood urinary tract infection; graded I to V by severity and managed with observation, antibiotics, or surgery.

A congenital anomaly in which the urethral meatus opens on the ventral penis, often with a ventral curvature and deficient foreskin; surgical repair is usually performed in infancy.

Obstructing membranous folds in the posterior urethra of male infants that cause bilateral hydronephrosis and bladder dysfunction; early valve ablation is needed to protect renal function.

Failure of one or both testes to descend into the scrotum by birth, increasing risks of infertility and testicular malignancy, treated by orchiopexy to place the testis in the scrotum.

The volume of plasma filtered by the kidneys per unit time, estimated from creatinine or cystatin C, and used to stage chronic kidney disease and assess transplant function.

The need for dialysis within the first week after kidney transplantation, usually reflecting ischemic injury; it complicates postoperative management and is associated with poorer long-term graft survival.

An immunosuppressant such as tacrolimus or cyclosporine that blocks T-cell activation and prevents transplant rejection, but requires therapeutic drug monitoring because of nephrotoxicity and other side effects.

A urinary diversion in which a segment of ileum is used to carry urine from the ureters to a stoma on the abdominal wall, requiring an external collection appliance.

A narrowing of the urethra caused by scar tissue from trauma, infection, or instrumentation, leading to reduced urinary flow, straining, and sometimes retention; treatment options include dilation, urethrotomy, and graft urethroplasty.

A urinary reservoir constructed from bowel and connected to the urethra after cystectomy, allowing voluntary voiding through the native urethra in selected patients.

A community of bacteria attached to a surface and embedded in a self-produced matrix, which increases resistance to antibiotics and contributes to device-associated and recurrent urinary tract infections.

Presence of bacteria in the urine without urinary symptoms; treatment is generally not indicated except in pregnancy or before urologic procedures, because antibiotics do not improve outcomes and promote resistance.

A chronic condition of pelvic pain and urinary urgency or frequency without infection or other identifiable cause; diagnosis is clinical and treatment is multimodal and symptom-directed.