Structural features of the urethra in patients with urethral pain syndrome

e purpose of the study is to identify the features of the urethra state in patients with urethral pain syndrome (UPS) by the method of cross-polarization optical coherence tomography (CP OCT). Materials and methods. e condition of the urethras of 69 patients were studied: 23 of them with UPS, 37 with inflammatory diseases, in 9 the state of the urethra was accepted as the norm. Everyone underwent cystoscopy with CP OCT, the neck of the bladder and the urethra were examined. e device «OCT - 1300U» was used; 396 CP OCT images were obtained. e thicknesses of the epithelial and connective tissue layers were measured in the CP OCT images of the urethra and bladder neck. e measurements were carried out by hand by two independent analysts using the standard functions of the ImageJ program. Statistical analysis of the data on changes in the thickness of the urethral tissue layers due to the duration of the disease (up to 1 year, and more than 1 year) and in relation to the age of each patient was performed according to standard method using of the corresponding methodology in «Statistica 12»...