Iran Specialty Board - Urology key terms

Involuntary contraction of the external urethral sphincter during detrusor contraction in a patient with a suprasacral spinal cord lesion, causing high bladder pressure, incomplete emptying, and risk of upper tract damage.

Lowest intravesical pressure at which urine leakage occurs during graded Valsalva effort without detrusor contraction; used to grade intrinsic sphincter deficiency and predict success of anti-incontinence surgery.

Failure of the urethral sphincter mechanism itself to generate adequate closure pressure, producing stress incontinence with low leak point pressure and often a fixed, nonmobile urethra.

Combined cystometry, pressure-flow study, and sphincter electromyography that measures bladder filling and emptying pressures and volumes to characterize storage and voiding dysfunction objectively.

Volume of urine remaining in the bladder after voiding, measured by ultrasound or catheterization; elevated values suggest incomplete emptying from outlet obstruction or detrusor underactivity.

Lower urinary tract dysfunction resulting from central or peripheral neurologic disease, classified by lesion level into storage failure, emptying failure, or mixed patterns requiring surveillance and often catheter-based management.

Technique of periodic bladder drainage with a single-use sterile or clean catheter, used to manage incomplete emptying while protecting the upper tracts from high storage pressure.

Fibrotic narrowing of the urethral lumen caused by scar formation after trauma, instrumentation, or inflammation, producing obstructive voiding, recurrent infection, and retention.

Autologous graft harvested from the inner cheek used to reconstruct long or complex urethral strictures, favored for its rich vascularity and resistance to infection.

Open surgical reconstruction of the urethra, either by excision and primary anastomosis or by substitution grafting, offering the highest long-term success for recurrent stricture disease.

Contrast study injected through the urethral meatus under fluoroscopy that delineates the site and length of anterior urethral narrowing or extravasation after trauma.

Urinary diversion in which ureters are anastomosed to an isolated segment of ileum brought to the abdominal wall as a stoma, with urine collected in an external appliance.

Continent urinary reconstruction in which a detubularized bowel segment is anastomosed to the urethra in the pelvis, allowing voiding per urethra while requiring intact sphincter function and patient compliance.

Hyperchloremic normal anion gap acidosis caused by reabsorption of urinary ammonium and chloride across bowel mucosa used for diversion, worsened by renal insufficiency and long segment length.

Kallikrein-related serine protease produced by prostatic epithelium that is measured in serum for prostate cancer screening, risk stratification, and monitoring of treatment response.

Histologic grading system for prostate adenocarcinoma based on the two most prevalent architectural patterns, each scored 1 to 5, with the sum predicting biologic aggressiveness and guiding treatment.

Strategy of serial prostate-specific antigen testing, imaging, and repeat biopsy for low-risk prostate cancer, deferring definitive treatment while monitoring for signs of progression.

Tissue sampling of the prostate, usually transrectal or transperineal ultrasound-guided systematic cores, performed for elevated antigen levels or abnormal digital examination findings.

Malignancy arising from testicular germ cells, classified as seminoma or nonseminomatous subtypes, typically presenting as a painless testicular mass with elevated tumor markers.

Inguinal removal of the testis and spermatic cord for suspected testicular malignancy, serving as both definitive local treatment and the primary diagnostic specimen.

Serum tumor marker elevated in nonseminomatous germ cell tumors, particularly yolk sac elements, used for diagnosis, staging, and surveillance of relapse after treatment.

Intravesical immunotherapy with attenuated mycobacteria given after resection of high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer to reduce recurrence and progression through local immune activation.

Endoscopic removal of bladder tumor using a resectoscope loop, providing diagnosis, staging of depth of invasion, and initial treatment for non-muscle-invasive disease.

Flat, high-grade urothelial malignancy confined to the epithelium that is not visible as a papillary lesion and carries high risk of progression to muscle-invasive disease.

Noninvasive stone treatment using focused acoustic shock waves to fragment calculi into passable pieces, best suited to stones under two centimeters in the renal pelvis or upper ureter.

Minimally invasive removal of large or complex kidney stones through a nephrostomy tract created into the collecting system, achieving high stone-free rates for stones over two centimeters.

Flexible tube placed in the ureter to maintain drainage and relieve obstruction from stones, stricture, or postoperative edema, often causing irritative voiding symptoms.

Retrograde flow of bladder urine into the ureter and kidney, graded I to V by severity, predisposing to pyelonephritis and renal scarring in children.

Fluoroscopic study after bladder filling with contrast that demonstrates vesicoureteral reflux, urethral anatomy, and bladder emptying, commonly used in children with febrile urinary infection.

Surgical reattachment of the ureter to the bladder with a submucosal tunnel to correct high-grade reflux or obstruction, performed open or laparoscopically.

Failure of one or both testes to descend into the scrotum, requiring surgical orchidopexy in early childhood to reduce infertility and malignancy risk.

Surgical fixation of an undescended testis into the scrotum, ideally within the first year of life, to preserve germ cell function and allow surveillance.

Congenital anomaly in which the urethral meatus opens on the ventral penis, often with chordee and a deficient ventral prepuce, repaired surgically in infancy.

Ventral curvature of the penis caused by fibrous tissue or unequal corporal length, often accompanying hypospadias and requiring correction during reconstructive repair.

Persistent inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual activity, commonly related to vascular, neuropathic, hormonal, or psychogenic causes.

Oral drug class that potentiates nitric oxide-mediated corporal smooth muscle relaxation by blocking cyclic guanosine monophosphate breakdown, first-line therapy for erectile dysfunction.

Inadequate testosterone production by the testes, either primary from testicular failure or secondary from pituitary or hypothalamic dysfunction, causing low libido, fatigue, and bone loss.

Tissue damage occurring when blood flow returns to a previously ischemic organ, generating reactive oxygen species and inflammation that contribute to delayed graft function after transplantation.

Need for dialysis within the first week after kidney transplantation, reflecting ischemic or immunologic injury and associated with inferior long-term graft survival.

Percentage of a donor panel against which a transplant candidate's serum reacts, indicating degree of sensitization and predicting difficulty in finding a compatible kidney.