Urethral Caruncle or Polyp. A rather common difficulty, the urethral caruncle looks like a small polyp which is blood-red, very tender and sometimes apparently infected. It seems to becoming out of the urinary exit and frequently suggests the appearance of a cancerous condition.
Urethral caruncle is a non-cancerous condition, frequently left alone with no harm, but easily removed with cautery or minor surgery. Any attempt to treat this or any similar sore in this region should be undertaken only by a qualified physician, otherwise very unhappy results can easily be obtained.
Vaginitis. A generalized irritation of the entire vaginal outlet, with a discharge, itching and considerable soreness, is a vaginitis commonly found in the post-menopausal vagina. It is possibly
Fig. 115. The normal saggital female pelvis shows the uterus, bladder and rectum all high and normally placed.
due to the menopausal cessation of estrogen, the female hormone, and is frequently associated with a slowly discharging infection of the vaginal canal.
The customary care of such difficulties is the promotion of cleanliness, the administration of vitamins and possibly small amounts of estrogen hormones.
Fallen Bladder, Cystocele. Downward displacement of the urinary bladder is usually a result of childbirth and is rarely seen in women who have had no children. It appears as a bulging at the vaginal opening when straining or standing and there is often a loss of urine with straining such as laughing, coughing, sneezing or lifting. Cystole usually feels like an uncomfortable bearing-down sensation in the vaginal region and is noticed for the first time many years after childbirth has become a forgotten
Female-fallen bladder (cystocoele)
Fig. 116. Cystocele, or fallen bladder, means a urinary bladder whose supports are weakened, allowing it to fall backward and downward into the space normally reserved for the vagina.
event. When infection is also present within the bladder, a burning with urination is noticed.
Lying down gives temporary quick relief for the symptoms of a fallen bladder, but permanent relief is obtained only through surgery. The operation which replaces the bladder to its normal position and gives it the support it needs to remain there is commonplace, easily performed, and usually results in satisfaction for the patient.