DUPLICATION OF THE URETHRA: Report of Two Cases and Summary of the Literature

DESPITE the rarity of its occurrence, the anomaly of double urethra has long excited interest within the ranks of the medical profession and a rather extensive literature has developed pertaining to the subject. The versatile Aristotle is credited with being the first to make observations from a case of double urethra. Vesalius mentioned Arab writings with descriptions of such malformations. More modern attention begins in the nineteenth century with the published observations of Vidal de Cassis (1834), followed by the reports of Cruveilhier,1Jerjavay, Luschka,2Lejars3and many others. For recent reviews and discussions we are indebted to Fantl,4MacKenzie5Oudard and Jean,6Fronstein and Saigrajeff,7Chauvin8and Lowsley.9 DESCRIPTION OF THE MALFORMATION An accessory urethra may occur as a complete, second passageway from the bladder to the dorsum of the penis, or it may appear as only a segment of