Urethra/urethral female

Einally, external urethral sphincter (voluntary sphincter, or rhabdosphincter) is a striated circumscribing structure emanating from the bladder neck and bladder base detrusor through the mid-urethra in the female and intermediate prostatic urethra in the male. While also surrounding Cowper s glands in the male, these rhabdosphincter subunits contract, most likely, only with ejaculation (Hutch, 1972 Elbadawi, 1980), along with simultaneous anal rhabdosphincter, bulbo-cavernosus muscle, and cremaster muscle contractions. 

Klarskov (1987) studied the non-cholinergic, non-adrenergic inhibitory nerve responses of bladder outlet smooth muscle from female Danish Landrace pigs in vitro. Trigone strips were taken in an oblique direction from the internal urethral orifice and medially to one of the ureteric orifices, bladder neck strips transversal from the posterior half of the borderline between bladder and urethra, and urethral strips longitudinal from the proximal posterior part. 

Incubation period 5-28 days Organism may be detectable within 48 hours after (posure to infected partner Most common-urethra Others-rectum (usually due to rectal intercourse in men who have s ( with men), orophatyn) eye May be asymptomatic (more common in males than females) or minimally symptomatic Urethral discharge (clear to mucopurulent)... 

Urethral pain has been reported in 24% to 32% of patients. Usually it is mild and does not require discontinuation of treatment. Female sexual partners may experience vaginal burning, itching, or pain, which is probably related to transfer of alprostadil from the man s urethra to the woman s vagina during intercourse. However, the resumption of sexual intercourse could also produce such symptoms. 

Fig. l.lOa-d. Anterior compartment and the so-called ligaments of the urethra.a Axial section (400 pm) of a 24-week-old female fetus with the semicircular urethral sheath arrows). xl2. b Sagittal section (500 pm) of a 13- to 14-week-old female fetus with the pubovesical ligament white spots) and the origin of the tendinous arch arrowhead). x25. c Axial section (400 pm) of a 17-week-old female fetus with the pubovesical ligaments white spots), x 12. d Axial section (5 mm) of an adult female with the pubovesical ligaments white spots). x7.5. pbo, pubic bone u, urethra lam, levator ani muscle... 

Fig. l.lla,b. External urethral sphincter (asterisks), a Axial section (400 pm) of a 24-week-old female fetus, embedded in the transverse perineal membrane. x9. b Computer-assisted three-dimensional reconstruction of a female fetus, p o, pubic bone u, urethra... 

Fig. 1.11 a) and the external urethral sphincter. As has been reported previously [37], this muscle is horse-shoe- or omega-shaped during fetal development and incompletely covers the urethra (Fig. 1.11). The dorsal ends of this muscle are connected by a plate of dense connective tissue that is small in the female where it is firmly attached to the ventral wall of the vagina (Figs. l.lOd, 1.11a). Whereas most of the fibers of the external urethral sphincter run semicircular, the most caudal fibers nearly run in a transverse plane. This portion predominates in the male and therefore has been considered as the male s deep transverse perineal muscle. However, it does not exist in the female [42].

The epithelium of most of the male urethra and the entire female urethra is derived from endoderm of the urogenital sinus. The distal part of the male urethra is derived from the glandular-urethral-plate. This ectodermal plate grows, becomes canalized, and joins the rest of the spongy urethra. Therefore, the epithelium of the terminal part of the urethra is derived from surface ectoderm. The connective tissue and smooth muscle of the urethra in both sexes is derived from the adjacent splanchnic mesenchyme (Moore and Persaud 1998). 

The epithelium of most of the male urethra and the entire female urethra is derived from the endoderm of the urogenital sinus. The distal part of the male urethra is derived from an ectodermal plate, called the urethral plate. 

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