Urology
Browse 50 topics in urology.
Acute Epididymitis in Adults
Comprehensive evidence-based guide to acute epididymitis in adults: diagnosis, differential diagnosis from testicular torsion, age-stratified antibiotic management
Acute Scrotal Pain in Adults
Evidence-based emergency diagnosis and management of acute scrotal pain including testicular torsion, epididymo-orchitis, and other scrotal emergencies
Acute Urinary Retention
Acute urinary retention (AUR) is the sudden and painful inability to pass urine despite a full bladder, representing a u... MRCS exam preparation.
Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD)
ADPKD is a Systemic Disease with extrarenal manifestations including Hepatic Cysts (Most Common) , Intracranial Aneurysms (5-10%) , Cardiac Valve Abnormalities , and Colonic Diverticulae . Complications include...
Balanitis
Key Facts Prevalence : 3% of boys; 11% of adult men; 12-14% of men attending GUM clinics Most common causes : Candida albicans (30-35%), poor hygiene/irritant dermatitis (25-30%), bacterial (15-20%), dermatoses...
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
The pathophysiology involves both static and dynamic components: the static component arises from physical urethral compression by hyperplastic tissue, while the dynamic component reflects increased smooth muscle tone...
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
The clinical cascade involves four distinct but related entities: BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia): Histological diagnosis - cellular proliferation BPE (Benign Prostatic Enlargement): Anatomical diagnosis -...
Bladder Cancer
Recent advances in molecular characterization have identified distinct molecular subtypes (luminal and basal) with differential responses to therapy, enabling precision oncology approaches. The treatment landscape for...
Chlamydia trachomatis Infections
Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterium that causes the most prevalent bacterial sexu... MRCP exam preparation.
Epididymo-orchitis
Epididymo-orchitis is an acute or chronic inflammatory condition affecting the epididymis and/or testis, representing th... MRCP, FRCS, PLAB exam preparation.
Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as the persistent or recurrent inability to achieve and/or maintain an erection suf... MRCS exam preparation.
Fournier's Gangrene
Fournier's gangrene is a rare but life-threatening form of necrotising fasciitis affecting the perineum, genitalia, and ... MRCS, MRCP exam preparation.
Fournier's Gangrene
Fournier's Gangrene is a fulminant, life-threatening necrotising fasciitis of the perineum, genitalia, and perianal regi... FRCS exam preparation.
Hypospadias
A comprehensive guide to Hypospadias, covering the classic triad, classification, surgical repair (TIP/Snodgrass urethroplasty), and the 'double diaper' post-operative care technique.
Interstitial Cystitis / Bladder Pain Syndrome
The pathophysiology remains incompletely understood but is thought to involve multifactorial mechanisms including: Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) layer deficiency leading to increased urothelial permeability Mast cell...
Kidney Stones (Nephrolithiasis)
Nephrolithiasis (kidney stones) is one of the most common urological conditions, affecting 10-12% of the global populati... FRCS(Urol) exam preparation.
Klinefelter Syndrome
The syndrome results from non-disjunction during parental meiosis, leading to testicular dysgenesis and progressive loss of seminiferous tubule function. The pathognomonic triad comprises hypergonadotropic...
Lichen Sclerosus
The disease presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge requiring long-term management and surveillance. Despite being a benign condition, LS profoundly impacts patients through intractable pruritus, dyspareunia,...
Male Hypogonadism
Classic presentation involves reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, and regression of secondary sexual characteristics. However, the clinical picture is highly variable depending on the age of onset...
Overactive Bladder Syndrome (OAB)
Overactive bladder (OAB) is a symptom syndrome characterised by urinary urgency, usually accompanied by increased daytime frequency and nocturia, with or without urgency urinary incontinence, in the absence of urinary...
Paraphimosis
Pearl 1 : Prevention is paramount — ALL healthcare staff performing catheterisation must be trained to replace the foreskin after the procedure. Failure to do so accounts for the majority of paraphimosis cases.
Penile Cancer
Human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly high-risk types 16 and 18, is detected in 30-50% of penile cancers through molecular studies, establishing a viral oncogenic pathway analogous to cervical cancer. Chronic...
Phimosis and Paraphimosis
Phimosis is the inability to retract the foreskin (prepuce) over the glans penis. It exists on a spectrum from physiological (normal and expected in infants and young children) to pathological (abnormal scarring in...
Posterior Urethral Valves (PUV)
The condition is increasingly diagnosed antenatally via ultrasound, typically manifesting as bilateral hydronephrosis, a distended thick-walled bladder, dilated posterior urethra (the pathognomonic "keyhole sign"),...
Priapism
Ischaemic priapism accounts for 95% of cases and is a compartment syndrome of the penis. The aetiology is diverse: sickle cell disease (most common in children, affecting up to 40% over their lifetime),...
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer represents the most common non-cutaneous malignancy in men worldwide, with an estimated 1.4 million new ... MRCP, FRCS(Urol) exam preparation.
Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Testing in Adults
Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) is a serine protease glycoprotein produced almost exclusively by prostatic epithelial cells. It functions physiologically to liquefy the seminal coagulum, but its clinical utility lies...
Prostatitis
Type I (Acute Bacterial Prostatitis) is a urological emergency characterised by acute systemic infection with fever, rigors, and an exquisitely tender prostate. This represents approximately 5-10% of cases and...
Renal Abscess
A renal abscess is a focal collection of purulent material within or around the kidney parenchyma, representing a severe and potentially life-threatening complication of upper urinary tract infection. Renal abscesses...
Renal and Retroperitoneal Anatomy
Define/Describe - Overview of kidney position, relations, and structure... CICM First Part Written SAQ, CICM First Part Written MCQ exam preparation.
Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)
A comprehensive guide to RCC, covering molecular pathophysiology, histological subtypes, Von Hippel-Lindau association, paraneoplastic syndromes, nephron-sparing surgery, and contemporary targeted biological therapies...
Renal Stones (Urolithiasis)
Comprehensive evidence-based guide to urolithiasis covering epidemiology, stone composition, pathophysiology, emergency presentations, diagnostic imaging, medical expulsive therapy, and surgical interventions (ESWL,...
Retroperitoneal Fibrosis (RPF)
RPF is classified as: Idiopathic (Primary) : 60-70% of cases, increasingly recognised as part of the IgG4-Related Disease (IgG4-RD) spectrum Secondary : 30-40%, caused by medications (ergot derivatives, methysergide,...
Scrotal Lumps
The diagnostic approach relies on systematic clinical examination incorporating three cardinal questions: (1) Can you get above the swelling? (2) Is the mass separate from the testis? (3) Does it transilluminate?...
Stress Urinary Incontinence
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is defined by the International Continence Society (ICS) as the involuntary leakage of... MRCOG exam preparation.
Suprapubic Bladder Catheterization
Parameter Detail ----------- -------- Indications Acute urinary retention, failed urethral catheterization, urethral trauma/stricture, long-term catheterization Contraindications Empty bladder, pelvic malignancy,...
Testicular Cancer
The fundamental clinical distinction is between Seminomas (slow growing, radiosensitive, elderly men) and Non-Seminomatous GCTs (NSGCTs - aggressive, early metastasis, young men).
Testicular Torsion
The classic presentation comprises sudden-onset severe unilateral scrotal pain, a high-riding testis with horizontal lie, and an absent cremasteric reflex. The condition is primarily a clinical diagnosis and should...
Undescended Testes (Cryptorchidism) (Child)
Undescended testis (UDT), or cryptorchidism, is the most common congenital anomaly of the male genitourinary system, aff... MRCPCH exam preparation.
Undescended Testis (Cryptorchidism)
Undescended Testis (UDT), or Cryptorchidism, is the failure of one or both testes to descend from the retroperitoneum into the scrotum by term gestation. It represents the most common genital anomaly in male neonates...
Urethral Stricture
A urethral stricture is a narrowing of the urethral lumen caused by scarring (spongiofibrosis) of the corpus spongiosum and urethral epithelium. It is a common urological condition predominantly affecting males, with...
Urge Urinary Incontinence (Overactive Bladder)
Urge urinary incontinence (UUI) is the involuntary leakage of urine accompanied by or immediately preceded by a sudden, compelling desire to void that is difficult to defer (urgency). UUI is a key component of...
Urinary Incontinence (Adult)
Urinary Incontinence (UI) is defined by the International Continence Society as "the complaint of involuntary loss of urine." It represents a major public health issue affecting millions of individuals worldwide, with...
Urinary Retention in Adults
Urinary retention is defined as the inability to voluntarily pass an adequate amount of urine, resulting in increased post-void residual (PVR) volume. It is classified into acute urinary retention (AUR) and chronic...
Urinary Tract Infection (Adult)
Urinary tract infection (UTI) represents one of the most prevalent bacterial infections worldwide, accounting for approximately 150 million cases annually and significant healthcare expenditure. UTIs are classified...
Urinary Tract Infection (Paediatrics)
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is the most common serious bacterial infection in children , accounting for approximately 7 million office visits and 100,000 hospitalizations annually. It ranges from benign lower tract...
Urosepsis
Key Facts Definition : Sepsis (life-threatening organ dysfunction) arising from urinary tract source Incidence : Most common source of community-acquired sepsis in patients >65 years Mortality : 10-15% overall;...
Vesicoureteral Reflux (VUR)
VUR arises from either primary (congenital) abnormalities of the vesicoureteral junction or secondary causes such as increased bladder pressure from posterior urethral valves or neuropathic bladder. The fundamental...
Von Hippel-Lindau Disease (VHL)
Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is an autosomal dominant hereditary cancer syndrome caused by germline mutations in the VHL tumour suppressor gene on chromosome 3p25.3. The condition predisposes individuals to the...
Wilms' Tumour (Nephroblastoma)
The condition has an excellent prognosis with modern multimodal therapy, achieving 5-year survival rates exceeding 90% for localised disease. Treatment involves a coordinated approach of chemotherapy, surgery, and...