Diverticulum means a pouch or sac like herniation through a muscular organ wall. So bladder diverticulum means you have a pouch or two in your bladder’s wall. And urethral diverticulum means your pouch is in the wall of the urethra.
Bladder and urethral diverticulum can be congenital or your pouch development may occur later in life, what’s referred to as acquired. Acquired bladder diverticulum typically results from some sort of obstruction that causes areas of weakness due to pressure on your bladder wall. Yet, neurologically caused bladder dysfunction is another bladder pouch instigator. Urethral diverticulum is believed to be initiated by repeated infections of periurethral glands, which eventually causes an obstruction.
Bladder diverticulum is most often seen in men because a major cause for bladder obstruction is benign prostatic hyperplasia. On the other hand, urethral diverticulum is more common in women. And you might only have one bladder pouch or urethra pouch, but multiple pouches occur as well.
Bladder diverticulum often cause no specific symptoms. However, repetitive bladder infections and bladder stones may occur due to urine stagnating in your bladder pouch. Rarely, a malignant tumor may arise in a bladder diverticulum.
Urethral diverticulum may cause a myriad of symptoms, such as:
- dysuria
- nocturia
- flank pain
- hematuria
- pelvic pain
- dyspareunia
- incontinence
- urinary retention
- recurrent cystitis
- frequent, urgent urination
- frequent urinary tract infections
Many diverticulum of the bladder and urethra cause no significant health issues. Therefore, treatment may not be necessary. When symptoms or large pouch size are in play, then surgical removal may be advised. One challenge involved with this surgery is inflammation related to a chronically infected diverticulum.
Bladder diverticulum or urethral diverticulum removal treatment usually results in resolution of your bladder or urethra pouch symptoms.