Psychologic characteristics of patients with female urethral syndrome.

Numerous investigations have been conducted in an effort to determine the cause of the female urethral syndrome. Bacterial and anatomic causes rarely have been identified. Using the MMPI, we evaluated 56 women with thus syndrome and compared them with control patients of similar ages. Statistically significant increases in the F, hysteria, hypochondriasis, and schizophrenia scales were found in the patients with the female urethral syndrome. These scores suggest the presence of a psychophysiologic process in these patients.