Glossary

 

Ablation

Destruction of tissue; can take various forms, applied to malignant tumours

 

Acute retention (of urine)

A painful condition where a patient suddenly becomes unable to void, despite having a full bladder. Immediate relief is obtained by passage of a catheter, draining the urine from the bladder

 

Adrenal gland

One of a pair of glands lying above each kidney which produce hormones to control blood pressure and other vital functions

 

Adrenalectomy

Removal of an adrenal gland  

 

Adjuvant therapy

Any treatment given following primary therapy for a cancer where there is a significant risk of residual cancer. It is given with the intention to cure, e.g. adjuvant radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy for high risk prostate cancer when the post-operative PSA is undetectable

 

AdVance™  Male Sling

A synthetic tape which can be surgically inserted under the male urethra to treat mild urinary incontinence

 

Androgen

Male sex hormone, e.g. testosterone  

 

Artificial urinary sphincter

A mechanical device which can be surgically inserted around the urethra to treat men with urinary incontinence  

 

Balanitis

Inflammation of the glans penis (head of the penis)  

 

Benign

When a tumour cannot invade into other tissue or spread to distant sites in the body  

 

Biopsy

A small sample of tissue

 

Bladder

The organ in the pelvis which stores urine

 

Bladder scan

A simple test using ultrasound to measure the amount of urine remaining in the bladder after voiding (post-void residual volume)

 

Brachytherapy

Short-range radiotherapy for prostate cancer performed by inserting radioactive seeds into the prostate

 

Calculus

A stone  

 

Cancer

Cells which grow uncontrollably and may invade local tissue and spread to other parts of the body (malignancy)

 

Carcinoma

A form of cancer

 

Catheter (urinary)

A tube that is inserted into the bladder to drain urine. It is usually passed via the urethra, but is sometimes passed directly into the bladder through the abdominal wall (suprapubic catheter)

 

Cavernosal nerves

Bundles of nerves which run along both sides of the prostate to supply erectile function to the penis

 

Chemotherapy

Systemic treatment of metastatic cancer with medicine, often given intravenously  

 

Chronic retention (of urine)

A painless condition where the bladder is unable to empty urine adequately. It may cause symptoms such as frequency, and may predispose to urine infection, bladder stones, or back-pressure on the kidneys  

 

Congenital

A condition present at birth

 

Continence

The ability to prevent involuntary leakage (of urine) 

 

Corpora cavernosa

Corporal bodies - cylinders of erectile tissue in the penis

 

Cryotherapy

Destruction of a cancer by freezing

 

CT

Computerised Tomography (CAT scan) - A type of body scan

 

Cyst

A fluid-filled structure

 

Cystectomy

Removal of the bladder  

 

Cystoscopy

Looking inside the bladder with a telescope

 

Da Vinci™ robot

A high-tech machine which enables the surgeon to perform precise minimally invasive surgery.

 

Detrusor

The muscle in the wall of the bladder  

 

Ejaculation

When semen is expelled from the penis  

 

Enema

Medication given via the rectum to empty it of faeces. Often given prior to a pelvic procedure to minimize bacterial contamination  

 

Erectile dysfunction

ED – The inability to achieve or hold an erection (impotence)  

 

Flip-flow valve

A tap attached to a catheter, allowing bladder filling when closed, and drainage of urine when open  

 

Frequency (of urination)

Voiding more often than normal during the day  

 

Glans penis

The head of the penis  

 

Gleason score

A method of grading prostate cancer according to its microscopic appearance; it predicts aggressiveness. Formerly a value between 2 and 10, but now almost always limited to values between 6 and 10, where 6 is low grade, 7 is intermediate, and 8, 9, and 10 are all high grade.  

 

Gonads

The ovaries or testes  

 

Grade

The degree of aggressiveness of a cancer, as it appears under a microscope

 

Hereditary

Where a condition which can be passed from parent(s) to child through one (or both) parent’s genes

 

HIFU

High Intensity Focused Ultrasound – an option for treating localized prostate cancer by precise tissue heating  

 

Hormone

A chemical messenger in the blood

 

Idiopathic 

A condition of unknown cause  

 

Ileal conduit

An isolated segment of small bowel (ileum) used to drain urine from the ureters to a bag on the abdominal wall; surgically created at the time of a cystectomy  

 

Impotence

Erectile dysfunction (ED) - The inability to achieve or hold an erection

 

Incontinence

The inability to prevent leakage (of urine)

 

Indolent

Slow-growing; typical of many low grade prostate cancers  

 

Intracavernous injection

Injection of medicine directly into the erectile tissue of the penis to cause an erection; a treatment option for erectile dysfunction  

 

Kegel exercises

Pelvic floor exercises, performed to prevent or treat urinary incontinence

 

Keyhole surgery

Laparoscopy - surgery performed with one or more very small incisions

 

Kidney

One of a pair of organs which filters waste products from the bloodstream into urine

 

Laparoscopy

A technique of performing a surgical operation using instruments inserted via very small incisions (keyhole surgery)

 

Lithotripsy

Stone-breaking

 

Lymph nodes

5 mm structures found all over the body which filter lymphatic fluid (that is not contained in blood vessels) and can trap infection and cancer cells. They may become enlarged when trapping disease

 

Malignant

When a tumour has the potential to invade into other tissue or spread to distant sites in the body  

 

Metastasis

Distant spread of cancer away from the primary site  

 

Midstream Urine

A common test where the patient must catch the midstream portion of urine in a container  

 

Mixed incontinence

Involuntary leakage of urine with features of both stress incontinence and urge incontinence

 

Morbidity

The degree of suffering caused by a condition or its treatment  

 

MRI

Magnetic Resonance Imaging – A type of body scan

 

Neobladder

A continent reservoir surgically created from an isolated segment of small bowel at the time of a cystectomy; it allows voiding via the urethra

 

Nephrectomy

Removal of a kidney  

 

Nephron

The microscopic functional unit of the kidney which filters blood to make urine. There are about 1 million nephrons in each kidney  

 

Nocturia

Getting up to void more than once overnight. Not incontinence  

 

Nocturnal enuresis

Incontinence of urine while asleep (bedwetting)

 

Occult

Hidden; often used to describe cancer that is not seen on imaging  

 

Oncology

The medical specialty of cancer

 

Orchidectomy

Removal of a testis via the scrotum (scrotal) or via the groin (inguinal or radical)  

 

Overactive bladder

A symptom complex including urinary urgency, with or without urge incontinence, which is often accompanied by urinary frequency and nocturia. It is not explained by any underlying condition

 

Overflow incontinence

Involuntary leakage of urine due to a bladder which is full of urine but unable to empty normally  

 

Pelvis

The part of the abdomen lying below the belt-line (as distinct from the renal pelvis, which is that part of the kidney where urine is collected before being transmitted down the ureter)

 

Percutaneous

Performed through a small cut in the skin

 

Pessary

Medicine or device (ring pessary) inserted into the vagina  

 

PET scan

Positron emission tomography – a special scan which images the metabolic activity of tissues in the body; performed to investigate some cancers  

 

Port

A narrow tube inserted into the body wall, through which instruments are inserted to perform laparoscopy

 

Prepuce

Foreskin  

 

Priapism 

A prolonged erection which will not subside; it needs urgent treatment to prevent irreversible injury to the erectile tissue of the penis

 

Prostate

A doughnut-shaped walnut-sized organ which lies at the base of the bladder; it contributes fluid to make up semen

 

Prostatectomy

Removal of the prostate

 

Prostatitis

Inflammation of the prostate; may or may not be due to infection

 

PSA

Prostate-Specific Antigen – a blood test; it can be raised in prostate cancer and other prostatic conditions

 

PUJ

Pelviureteric junction - the point at which the kidney joins the ureter; it can become obstructed

 

Pyeloplasty

An operation performed to relieve PUJ obstruction

 

Radical

Denotes an operation for cancer; involves removing a particular organ (e.g.kidney) as well as its surrounding tissue  

 

Radiofrequency ablation

RFA – Destruction of a cancer by heating; typically used for small kidney cancers  

 

Radiotherapy

Local cancer treatment using ionizing radiation; can be given by external beam, or radioactive seed implantation  

 

Renal

Of the kidney

 

Salvage therapy

Any secondary treatment for cancer given after the primary therapy has failed to eradicate all of the cancer. It is given with the intention of cure, e.g. salvage radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer when the PSA remains detectable

 

Scrotum

Skin sac which contains the testicles

 

Seminal Vesicles

A pair of organs attached to the back of the prostate which produces and stores seminal fluid  

 

Spermatic cord

The stalk on which each testis hangs, containing its blood supply and the vas deferens  

 

Sphincter (urinary)

The circular muscle just below the prostate which acts as a valve, conferring continence of urine

 

Stage

The degree of local invasion and/or distant spread of a cancer

 

Stent

A fine self-contained plastic tube inserted into the ureter through the bladder to support it during healing or to bypass obstruction  

 

Stress incontinence

Involuntary leakage of urine associated with an activity causing an increase in abdominal pressure

 

Suppository

Medicine inserted into the rectum  

 

Systemic 

Throughout the body

 

Testis

Testicle

 

Testosterone

A male sex hormone produced by the testes  

 

Torsion

Twisting, especially of the spermatic cord, causing acute testicular pain and requiring urgent treatment to prevent death of the affected testis  

 

Tumescence

The degree of engorgement with blood of the erectile tissue  

 

Tumour

An abnormal growth of tissue which can be benign or malignant  

 

TURP

TransUrethral Resection of the Prostate – an operation to remove the inner part of the prostate with a telescope via the urethra; it relieves obstruction of the bladder outlet

 

Undescended testis

When a testis has not completely reached the bottom of the scrotum during its development

 

Ureter

The tube which transports urine from the kidney to the bladder

 

Ureteroscopy

Using a fine telescope inserted through the bladder into the ureter. The scope may be rigid or flexible.

 

Urethra

The tube from the bladder, through which one urinates. It is long in males (travelling through the penis) and short in females  

 

Urge incontinence

Involuntary leakage of urine associated with an overwhelming desire to void  

 

Urgency

An urgent desire to void

 

Urinary system

The kidneys, ureters, bladder, prostate and urethra

 

Urodynamics

Testing of bladder and urethral function using a small probe passed into the bladder via the urethra, which measures pressures during bladder filling and voiding (urinating)

 

Urology

The surgical specialty of diseases of the urinary system in both sexes, and of the genital tract in males

  

Vacuum pump

A device which causes engorgement of blood in the erectile tissue of the penis; a treatment option for erectile dysfunction  

 

Vas deferens

One of two tubes carrying sperm from the testes to the urethra. They are both cut in a vasectomy for sterilisation  

 

Vasectomy

A minor sterilising procedure in which both vasa are divided and separated to prevent sperm gaining access to the urethra  

 

Vasodilator

A medicine which causes dilation of blood vessels; often used as an oral or injectable treatment option for erectile dysfunction  

 

Voiding

Urinating

 

Voiding flow rate

A simple test to measure the rate of urine flow during urination. The patient voids into a special bowl which is able to calculate the flow rate. For the test results to be meaningful, the patient should have a full bladder prior to the test.

 

 

DISCLAIMER

Please be aware that medical information provided on this website is for educational purposes only. As the information is deliberately general in nature, it in no way replaces a consultation. Only a consultation with your specialist can adequately address your individual situation, leading to the most appropriate management for you.