Inflammation of paraurethral ducts and glands in women: the problem with 350 years history.

Abstract

Introduction. Inflammation of the Skene glands is one of the common causes of persistent dysuria and recurrent lower urinary tract infections. Lack of awareness about this pathology can lead to diagnostic errors and inadequate treatment. This pathology is not sufficiently covered in the literature, which was the reason for preparing this lecture. Results. The lecture review covers the history of studying the anatomy of the paraurethral glands in women, the first attempts to diagnose and treat various diseases. The issues of homology of the paraurethral ducts and glands in women with the prostate gland in men are considered, the anatomy, morphology and immunohistochemical properties of the Skene glands are described, as well as modern ideas about their function. The historical background, nomenclature and classification are presented. The role of inflammation in these structures as a cause of persistent dysuria and a source of persistent lower urinary tract infections has been demonstrated. The need to standardize the methodology for examining patients with skineitis and the search for a specialized instrument for an adequate examination of the female urethra is substantiated. An analysis of the effectiveness of electrical resection of Skene's glands was carried out. Conclusions. One of the main factors behind unsatisfactory treatment results for lower urinary tract infections is inflammation of the paraurethral ducts and glands. Their insufficient visualization and assessment are the reasons for frequent relapses of the disease and repeated surgical interventions.