Urethral Stricture Symptoms and Diagnosis

January 21, 2026

This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by Humberto Villarreal, M.D., assistant clinical professor, Division of Urology and Urologic Oncology, Department of Surgery, City of Hope^® Cancer Center Duarte.

A urethral stricture is a condition that causes a narrowing of the urethra — the tube that carries urine out of the body from the bladder. It is usually caused by scar tissue in the urethra, blocking the normal flow of urine. Because urethral strictures are much more common among men than women, the details below focus only on the symptoms and diagnosis of urethral strictures in men.

Urethral Stricture Symptoms

People with a urethral stricture often experience some of these common symptoms:

• A slow or inconsistent stream of urine
• Incomplete bladder emptying
• Pain when urinating
• Urinating often or feeling the need to urinate often
• Frequent urinary tract infections
• Blood in the urine or semen
• Discharge from the urethra
• Pain or swelling in the pelvic area

How is Urethral Stricture Diagnosed?

In most cases, diagnosing urethral strictures involves a combination of imaging and cystoscopy — a procedure that allows doctors to look at the inside of the bladder and urethra. These are some of the tests that may be used to diagnose urethral strictures.

Retrograde urethrogram: One of the most effective tests for diagnosing urethral strictures is a retrograde urethrogram, which involves placing a small amount of contrast dye into the urethra. This lets doctors see an outline of the urethra and identify the location and length of the stricture.

Cystoscopy: During a cystoscopy, a doctor inserts a small camera into the urethra and bladder to look for strictures. Although it is rare, in some cases, a cystoscopy is the only diagnostic test needed, especially if the stricture may be seen through the cystoscope or if it is at the bladder neck.

Voiding cystourethrogram: During this test, the bladder is filled with contrast dye and doctors capture images of both the full bladder and the urethra while the patient urinates. This test is particularly effective at detecting pelvic fracture urethral injuries and cases where the urethra is entirely obstructed.

Flow rate and residual urine assessment: During this test, a patient urinates into a funnel and a doctor measures the strength of the urine stream. After the test, any residual urine left in the bladder is also measured.

Urine culture: Urine cultures are collected before any surgery to ensure there is no active infection and to help determine whether antibiotics are needed before the procedure.