Urethral strictures in women are rare and patients may present with varying symptoms. Hence, clinical guidelines regarding diagnostic algorithms and treatment approaches are scarce. Several small case series have presented results for several operative techniques, but patient cohorts are generally heterogeneous and relatively small, which hampers reliable comparability across institutions. The present narrative review aims to provide a contemporary overview of the literature regarding the clinical and therapeutical approach in women with urethral strictures.Iatrogenic reasons such as previous catheterization or genitourinary surgical interventions are the most common cause of female urethral strictures. In daily clinical routine, physical examination is the cornerstone for differential diagnosis and may aid in the decision to expand diagnostic workup by urethrocystoscopy, urethrography, or magnetic resonance imaging in case of suspected anatomic or morphologic cause of voiding disorder. Endoscopic approaches such as dilation or urethrotomy only provide short-term symptomatic relief and open urethroplasty is more commonly associated with durable long-term success. Regarding the surgical approach, there are comparable operative techniques at hand, using vaginal or labial flaps or oral mucosal grafts. Given the relative rarity of female urethral strictures with only small case series published, a statement regarding the superiority of one approach over the other is hardly possible. As for all rare disorders, multi-institutional, large patient series are needed to generate reliable evidence and to improve standards in the perioperative care of women with urethral strictures.
