Urology Glossary
Urology Glossary
Plain-language explanations of the terms you meet in your reports or consultation.
Prostate and prostate cancer
- Active surveillance
- A strategy of close monitoring with regular PSA, MRI and biopsy instead of immediate treatment in low-risk prostate cancer.Related treatment
- Androgen deprivation (hormone therapy)
- A treatment approach that reduces the effect of the male hormone on which prostate cancer feeds.Related treatment
- Biochemical recurrence
- A renewed rise in PSA after it fell following treatment; it can appear before disease is visible on imaging.Related treatment
- Free-to-total PSA ratio
- The ratio of free PSA to total PSA in the blood; one of the measures that helps in deciding about biopsy.Related treatment
- Gleason score
- A system scoring how aggressive prostate cancer cells look under the microscope, from 6 to 10.Related treatment
- ISUP grade group
- A grading that simplifies the Gleason score into five groups (1–5) and is used in treatment planning.Related treatment
- MRI fusion biopsy
- A biopsy that merges the prostate MRI image with ultrasound so samples are taken from the suspicious area in a targeted way.Related treatment
- Multiparametric MRI
- An MRI examination that studies the prostate with several image sequences and shows the suspicious area before biopsy.Related treatment
- Nerve-sparing surgery
- A technique that aims to preserve the nerve bundles responsible for erection while the prostate is removed; it is not feasible in every patient.Related treatment
- PI-RADS
- A 1–5 score given to a suspicious area on prostate MRI; a higher score means clearer suspicion.Related treatment
- Prostatitis
- Inflammation of the prostate gland; it can cause pain, urinary symptoms and a raised PSA.
- PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen)
- A protein produced by prostate tissue and measured in blood; a raised level may be due to inflammation or benign enlargement as well as cancer.Related treatment
- PSA density
- The PSA value relative to prostate volume; it takes account of the fact that a large prostate naturally produces more PSA.Related treatment
- Radical prostatectomy
- The operation to remove the whole prostate and the seminal vesicles in prostate cancer.Related treatment
- Surgical margin (positive/negative)
- Whether tumour cells are present at the edge of the removed tissue; if positive, further treatment may come into consideration.Related treatment
- TNM staging
- The international system describing the extent of the tumour (T), lymph node involvement (N) and distant spread (M).Related treatment
- Transperineal biopsy
- Taking the prostate biopsy through the skin between the testicles and the anus rather than the rectum; infection risk is lower as there is no contact with bowel flora.Related treatment
Benign prostatic enlargement (BPH)
- 5-alpha reductase inhibitor
- A group of medicines that shrinks the prostate over time and also lowers the PSA value.Related treatment
- Acute urinary retention
- Being completely unable to pass urine although the bladder is full; it requires urgent catheterisation.Related treatment
- Alpha blocker
- A group of medicines that relaxes the muscle in the prostate and bladder neck to ease urine flow.Related treatment
- Enucleation
- Separating the enlarged prostate tissue from the capsule as a whole rather than shaving it away piece by piece.Related treatment
- HoLEP
- An endoscopic method in which enlarged prostate tissue is enucleated whole with a holmium laser; it is also applicable to large prostates.Related treatment
- IPSS (International Prostate Symptom Score)
- A questionnaire scoring the severity of urinary symptoms from 0 to 35, used when deciding on treatment.Related treatment
- Middle lobe
- The part of the prostate that grows into the bladder; its presence affects the choice of method.Related treatment
- Nocturia
- Waking from sleep at night to pass urine; one of the common complaints of prostate enlargement.Related treatment
- Open adenomectomy
- Removal of the enlarged inner prostate tissue by open surgery in very large glands.Related treatment
- Post-void residual (PVR)
- The amount of urine left in the bladder after voiding; a high value points to a problem with emptying.Related treatment
- Prostate volume
- The size of the prostate measured by ultrasound; one of the main criteria determining which surgical method is suitable.Related treatment
- Retrograde ejaculation
- Semen passing into the bladder instead of outward; a harmless change seen after prostate surgery that nonetheless affects fertility.Related treatment
- Rezūm
- A minimally invasive method, usually under sedation, in which water-vapour energy is delivered into prostate tissue to shrink its volume.Related treatment
- ThuLEP
- An endoscopic enucleation method similar to HoLEP in which prostate tissue is removed using a thulium laser.Related treatment
- TUR syndrome
- A fall in blood sodium caused by irrigation fluid entering the circulation during monopolar TURP; this risk does not exist with the bipolar system.Related treatment
- TURP
- The classic endoscopic operation in which prostate tissue is cut away with electrical energy through the urinary channel.Related treatment
- Uroflowmetry
- A simple, painless test measuring urine flow rate that helps assess whether there is obstruction.Related treatment
Kidney and urinary stones
- Calcium oxalate stone
- The most common type of kidney stone; recurrence can be reduced through fluid intake and diet.Related treatment
- ESWL (shock wave lithotripsy)
- An incision-free method using shock waves delivered from outside the body to break the stone so it passes in the urine.Related treatment
- Hydronephrosis
- Swelling of the kidney caused by blocked urine flow; if untreated, kidney function can decline.Related treatment
- JJ (double-J) stent
- A thin silicone tube placed between the kidney and bladder that temporarily secures urine drainage.Related treatment
- Medical expulsive therapy
- An approach that uses medication to help a small stone that has moved down to pass on its own.Related treatment
- Nephrostomy
- A drain placed between the kidney and the skin to carry urine out; it may be left temporarily after percutaneous stone surgery.Related treatment
- PCNL (percutaneous nephrolithotomy)
- A method in which large stones are removed through a small opening made in the back into the kidney.Related treatment
- Renal colic
- Severe flank pain coming in waves, caused by a stone obstructing the urinary tract.Related treatment
- RIRS (retrograde intrarenal surgery)
- An incision-free method in which a kidney stone is broken with a laser through a flexible endoscope passed via the urinary tract.Related treatment
- Staghorn stone
- A large branched stone filling the collecting system of the kidney; left in place it can permanently impair kidney function.Related treatment
- Stone analysis
- Examining the chemical make-up of the retrieved stone; it forms the basis of the plan to prevent recurrence.Related treatment
- Stone-free rate
- The proportion of cases with no clinically significant stone left after the procedure; a success measure used when choosing a method.Related treatment
- Ureteral access sheath
- A thin sheath placed in the ureter during RIRS; it protects the ureter and helps keep pressure inside the kidney down.Related treatment
- Uric acid stone
- A stone type linked to urine that is too acidic; some can be dissolved with medication.Related treatment
- Urosepsis
- A urinary tract infection passing into the blood; it runs with fever and shivering and needs urgent treatment.Related treatment
Andrology and men’s health
- Aquadissection
- Gently separating the tissues with fluid pressure during penile prosthesis surgery; a technique used in selected cases.Related treatment
- Azoospermia
- Complete absence of sperm in the semen sample; it may be due to obstruction or to a production problem.Related treatment
- Erectile dysfunction
- Inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for intercourse; causes may be vascular, hormonal or psychological.Related treatment
- Hydrocele
- A collection of fluid around the testicle; one of the known complications of varicocele surgery.Related treatment
- Hypogonadism
- The testicles not producing enough testosterone; it can run with tiredness, reduced desire and loss of muscle.Related treatment
- Intracavernosal injection
- Giving medication into the penis with a fine needle when tablets do not work.Related treatment
- Micro-TESE
- A procedure that searches for sperm within the testicle under a microscope in men with no sperm in the semen.Related treatment
- PDE5 inhibitor
- The first-line group of medicines for erectile difficulty; it does not work without sexual stimulation and cannot be used by men taking nitrates.Related treatment
- Penile implant
- An inflatable or malleable device placed inside the penis for erection problems that do not respond to medication.Related treatment
- Peyronie’s disease
- A condition in which firm tissue (plaque) forms inside the penis, causing curvature and pain.Related treatment
- Premature ejaculation
- Ejaculation occurring much sooner than wished; behavioural and medical treatments exist.Related treatment
- Priapism
- A prolonged and painful erection; it needs urgent assessment and can cause lasting damage if delayed.Related treatment
- Semen analysis
- The basic fertility test assessing sperm count, motility and shape in a semen sample.Related treatment
- TESE
- A procedure to look for sperm in testicular tissue when none is found in the semen.Related treatment
- Testicular torsion
- The testicle twisting on itself and cutting off its blood supply; an emergency requiring intervention within hours.
- Testosterone
- The main male hormone; it is measured in the morning and a low level is meaningful only if there are symptoms.Related treatment
- Varicocele
- Enlargement of the veins around the testicle; it can affect sperm quality and is commonly found in infertility work-up.Related treatment
- Vasectomy
- A permanent method of male contraception in which the sperm ducts are tied.Related treatment
Female urology
- Bladder training
- Gradually lengthening the intervals between visits to the toilet; part of behavioural treatment in overactive bladder.Related treatment
- Botulinum toxin into the bladder
- A treatment applied to the bladder muscle in overactive bladder that does not respond to medication; its effect is temporary.Related treatment
- Interstitial cystitis
- A chronic condition with bladder pain and frequency in the absence of infection.
- Overactive bladder
- A sudden, hard-to-defer urge to urinate, often with frequency and waking at night.Related treatment
- Pelvic floor exercise
- Working the muscles that help hold urine on a regular basis; the first-step approach in stress leakage.Related treatment
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Downward descent of the bladder, uterus or bowel when pelvic floor support weakens.Related treatment
- Sacral neuromodulation
- Regulating the nerves that control the bladder with a mild electrical signal; it comes into consideration in overactive bladder that does not settle with medication.Related treatment
- Sling (TOT/TVT)
- An operation placing a narrow tape to support the urinary channel and reduce stress-type leakage.Related treatment
- Stress incontinence
- Involuntary urine leakage during coughing, sneezing or exertion.Related treatment
- Urodynamics
- A detailed test measuring bladder pressure and urine flow to determine the type of incontinence.Related treatment
Reconstructive urology
- Anastomosis
- Surgically joining two tube-shaped structures to each other.
- Buccal mucosa graft
- Thin tissue taken from the inner cheek and used as a patch to widen a narrowed urinary channel.Related treatment
- Fistula
- An abnormal connection between two organs; in a urinary fistula there is continuous urine leakage.Related treatment
- Ileal interposition
- Placing a segment of small bowel into the urinary tract to bridge a long loss of ureter.Related treatment
- Psoas hitch
- A technique in which the bladder is hitched upwards to reach a shortened ureter.Related treatment
- Pyeloplasty
- Surgical widening of the narrowing where the kidney joins the ureter.Related treatment
- Redo (revision) surgery
- Re-operating on a procedure that previously failed elsewhere; scar tissue makes it more demanding.Related treatment
- UPJ obstruction
- A blockage at the start of the channel leaving the kidney, which can cause swelling and, over time, loss of function.Related treatment
- Ureteroneocystostomy
- Reimplanting the ureter into the bladder; used for narrowing and injury at the lower end.Related treatment
- Urethral stricture
- Narrowing of the urinary channel by scar tissue, causing a weak stream, straining and recurrent infection.Related treatment
General urology terms
- Antibiotic prophylaxis
- Giving a single dose or short course of antibiotic before a procedure to prevent infection.
- Complication
- An unwanted event outside the planned course of a procedure; every intervention carries a certain probability of one.
- Creatinine
- A blood value giving an idea of kidney function; a rise can indicate reduced kidney function.
- Cystoscopy
- Direct inspection of the inside of the bladder with a thin camera passed through the urinary channel.
- Haematuria
- Blood in the urine, either visible or detected only on testing; it should always be investigated.
- Intravesical BCG
- An immune treatment instilled into the bladder to reduce recurrence in superficial bladder tumours.Related treatment
- Partial nephrectomy
- An operation removing only the tumour-bearing part of the kidney so the organ is preserved.Related treatment
- Radical cystectomy
- Removal of the bladder in muscle-invasive bladder cancer, with a new route created for urine.Related treatment
- Radical nephrectomy
- Removal of the whole kidney in kidney tumours; preferred when the tumour is large or unsuitably placed.Related treatment
- Robotic surgery
- A minimally invasive approach through small incisions, using robotic arms the surgeon controls from a console.Related treatment
- Spinal anaesthesia
- Numbing the lower half of the body with an injection in the back; the patient stays awake.
- TURBT (bladder tumour resection)
- Removing a bladder tumour through the urinary passage; it serves both treatment and staging.Related treatment
- Urinary catheter
- A thin, flexible tube placed temporarily to drain urine from the bladder.
- Urinary tract infection
- Bacterial growth in the urinary tract; it runs with burning, frequency and sometimes fever.
- Urine culture
- A test showing whether bacteria are present in the urine and which antibiotic they respond to; it is compulsory before stone surgery.
This glossary is for general information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Diagnosis and treatment require examination by a physician.