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The Urethra: Normal Anatomy, Radiology, Disease, and Injury

  • Chapter
Radiology of the Lower Urinary Tract

Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Diagn Imaging))

Abstract

The male urethra is divided anatomically and radiologically into the anterior and posterior urethra. The anterior urethra extends from the inferior fascia of the urogenital diaphragm to the external meatus. The anterior urethra consists of the penile urethra, from the external meatus to the penoscrotal junction below and the suspensory ligament above, and the bulbous urethra, from the penoscrotal junction to the inferior aspect of the urogenital diaphragm. The posterior urethra consists of the membranous urethra within the urogenital diaphragm and is approximately 1–1.5 cm long. It extends from the inferior fascia of the urogenital diaphragm to the inferior aspect of the verumontanum. The prostatic urethra extends from the inferior aspect of the verumontanum to the bladder neck and passes through the prostate gland a little anterior to the middle of the prostate. The urogenital diaphragm, which divides the urethra into the anterior and posterior urethra, is a triangular ligament extending horizontally from the inferior rami of the pubic arch, posteriorly attaching to the tendinous plate of the perineum and continuous with the anal fascia.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1W8, Canada

    Ronald W. McCallum M.B., F.R.C.P. (C), F.A.C.R. (Professor of Radiology, Radiologist-in-Chief)

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  1. Ronald W. McCallum M.B., F.R.C.P. (C), F.A.C.R.
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University, Medical Center, 1542 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70122-2822, USA

    Erich K. Lang M.D. (Professor and Chairman) (Professor and Chairman)

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© 1994 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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McCallum, R.W. (1994). The Urethra: Normal Anatomy, Radiology, Disease, and Injury. In: Lang, E.K. (eds) Radiology of the Lower Urinary Tract. Medical Radiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-84431-7_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-84431-7_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-84433-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-84431-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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