Our GP is ready to help you if you want to be sure that you are healthy and in good shape, you have medical questions or problems and want to discuss with an experienced doctor, you have some unknown symptoms and want to know what they could be related to, you want to know another medical opinion about the best way of treatment of your disease.
Cystoscopy is a test that allows
the doctor to look at the interior lining of the bladder and urethra (the tube that conducts urine from the
bladder). The cystoscope is a thin, lighted viewing
instrument that is introduced into the urethra and advanced into the bladder.
The cystoscope is
introduced into
the
urethra and slowly slid into the bladder while the doctor
looks through the scope to examine the inside of the urethra. The doctor
then examines the inside of the bladder for stones, tumors, bleeding, and infection.
Cystoscopy allows the doctor to look at areas of the bladder and urethra that
usually do not show up well on X-rays. Tiny surgical instruments can be slid
through the cystoscope that allow the doctor to remove samples of tissue (biopsy) or
samples of urine from each kidney.
Cystoscopy can also be used to
treat some bladder problems. Small
bladder stones and some small growths can be removed by using tiny surgical
instruments that slide through the cystoscope. This may eliminate the need
for more extensive surgery.
Cystoscopy Results
The
results of a biopsy are usually available in several days. Your doctor may be able to discuss
preliminary results with you just after the cystoscopy is completed.
Normal:
The urethra, bladder, and ureters are normal. No polyps or other abnormal tissues, inflammation,
bleeding, narrow areas (strictures), or structural abnormalities are seen.
Abnormal:
Cystoscopy
may discover inflammation or narrowing of the urethra due to previous infections
or an enlarged prostate
gland. Bladder tumors (cancerous or benign), polyps, ulcers, kidney stones, or inflammation of the bladder walls may also be
observed. Sometimes abnormalities in the structure of the urinary tract present since birth (congenital) are seen.
In women, a cystoscopy may reveal genital prolapse (or pelvic organ prolapse), which occurs when the
structures of the pelvis protrude into or outside of the vaginal canal.