Trauma to the urethra.

Little is known of the exact aetiology of traumatic stricture of the urethra, but the first clinical presentation can be delayed many years after the trauma. Diagnosis can be made on clinical grounds alone and the passage of a catheter is condemned as clinically misleading and surgically dangerous. Partial rupture is relatively common and every effort should be made to preseve the remaining bridge of tissue which may still be viable. Initial treatment should ensure that no additional damage is done to the urethra by converting a partial rupture into a complete transection.