Diverticulum of the Prostatic Urethra with Unusual Extension

DIVERTICULA OF THE MALE URETHRA are not commonly encountered in urology and are certainly less frequently seen or recognized in other medical fields. The word originates from the Latin verb, diverticulâre—"to turn aside," and may be defined as a saclike protrusion continuous with the lumen of any portion of the urethra. When found in the male, approximately 60 per cent arise from the anterior urethra and may be either congenital or acquired in origin. The acquired group is usually associated with trauma or instrumentation and occurs in the third and fourth decades of life as distinguished from the congenital group which is discovered in the first and second decades. Common factors in the etiology are distal obstruction, infection, and calculus formation. Diverticula arising from the posterior urethra have been described for many years, as in the case described by Rourdillat in 1869 whose patient developed an urethrorectal fistula by erosion