Introduction. Sometimes even after successful urethral reconstruction some patients continue to experience or newly develop symptoms of impaired urination, sexual dysfunction, or reproductive disorders. One possible cause for this may be the inflammation of male accessory glands (MAGI). However, there is no data in the literature on the prevalence of MAGI among patients after surgical treatment of urethral stricture. Objective.To assess the prevalence and characteristics of male accessory gland inflammation in patients before and after surgical treatment of urethral stricture.
Materials and methods. A prospective cohort study was conducted among 38 patients who sought medical care at V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center from June 2023 to December 2024. The patients were divided into two cohorts: urethral reconstruction (n=22) and circumcision (n=16). In addition to standard preoperative examinations, the work-up included scrotal ultrasound, transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) of the prostate and seminal vesicles, and semen culture before surgery, with a follow-up examination at three months postoperatively in both cohorts.
Results. The prevalence of ultrasound (US) signs of MAGI in the urethroplasty cohort was 31.8% before surgery and 68.2% after surgery (р=0.0009). In circumcision cohort, the prevalence was 12.5% both before and after surgery. Complicated forms of MAGI were observed in 6 patients, while 9 patients had uncomplicated forms after urethroplasty. An infectious agent was detected in the semen culture of 6 (27.3%) patients before surgery and in 11 (50%) patients after surgery in the urethroplasty cohort (p=0.215).
Conclusions. Patients with urethral stricture present with ultrasound signs of MAGI more frequently than those in the control cohort. However, the clinical significance of these alterations requires further clarification.
