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[Urinary system](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/system/urinary-system/) · [Pelvis · Male](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/region/pelvis/)

# Prostatic urethra

The prostatic urethra is the first part of the [male urethra](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/male-urethra/), running through the [prostate](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/prostate/); semen enters it here, and an enlarged prostate can squeeze it.

Official name: Prostatic urethra; seminal colliculus

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## What it is

The first 3-4 cm and the widest part, running down through the prostate. On its back wall a mound, the verumontanum (seminal colliculus), holds the openings of the ejaculatory ducts.

## What it does

Receives semen from the ejaculatory ducts and the prostate; enlarged transition-zone tissue squeezes it in BPH.

## Key points

- Together with the membranous urethra it forms the posterior urethra, above the [perineal membrane](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/perineal-membrane/)
- The verumontanum on its back wall is the endoscopic landmark: the external urethral sphincter lies just below it
- BPH lengthens and distorts it and can lift the bladder neck, so a catheter may catch; a curved-tip (coudé) catheter is made for this
- Its upper part is lined by urothelium continuous with the bladder, so urothelial cancer can involve it

## Key facts

**Where**
First 3–4 cm, the widest and most distensible part, down through the prostate from the bladder neck to the apex

**Attaches**
Posterior wall: urethral crest with the verumontanum (seminal colliculus), holding the prostatic utricle and both ejaculatory ducts; prostatic ducts open into the sinuses beside it

**Function**
Receives sperm, seminal fluid and prostatic secretion; narrowed by transition-zone BPH; the verumontanum is the distal limit of TURP, protecting the external sphincter

## Relations

**Above**
Bladder neck and internal urethral orifice

**Below**
[Membranous urethra](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/intermediate-part-of-male-urethra/) at the prostatic apex, within the [external urethral sphincter](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/female-external-urethral-sphincter/)

**Behind**
Verumontanum with the prostatic utricle and the openings of the [ejaculatory ducts](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/ejaculatory-duct/); behind them the central and peripheral zones and the [rectum](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/rectum/)

**Lateral**
[Transition zone](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/transition-zone-of-prostate/) lobes and the prostatic sinuses, where the prostatic ducts open

**In front**
[Anterior fibromuscular stroma](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/isthmus-of-prostate/)

## How to find it

Not palpable as such. On cystourethroscopy the verumontanum appears as a mound on the floor of the urethra, with the bladder neck above and the sphincter below.

## On imaging

On a voiding cystourethrogram it is the widest, spindle-shaped segment. In boys with posterior urethral valves it is dilated above the obstruction, a classic sign.

## Common problems

- Urethral stricture: a narrowing from scarring after infection, injury or instruments.
- Urethritis, often a sexually transmitted infection (burning when passing urine, discharge).
- Its length and two bends make a catheter harder to pass than in women.

## How it is diagnosed

Urine tests and swabs; urine flow test; urethrogram or a scope (urethroscopy).

## Treatment

- TURP removes prostate tissue from inside it; the verumontanum is the landmark that protects the sphincter just below.

## Clinical notes

- Posterior urethral valves: obstructing membranes just below the verumontanum in boys, the commonest congenital cause of bladder outlet obstruction; they thicken the bladder and can damage the [kidneys](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/kidney/)
- When a catheter will not pass, resistance at the bladder neck suggests BPH or bladder neck contracture; forcing it can create a false passage

## Development

Develops from the pelvic part of the urogenital sinus (endoderm). The utricle on its back wall is the remnant of the fused paramesonephric (Müllerian) ducts.

## Related conditions

- [Benign prostatic hyperplasia](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia/)
- [Posterior urethral valves](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/posterior-urethral-valves/)

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## What lies on the verumontanum of the prostatic urethra?

The prostatic utricle and the openings of both ejaculatory ducts.

## Why is the verumontanum the distal limit of TURP?

The external urethral sphincter lies just below it, so resection stops there to protect continence.

## What are posterior urethral valves?

Obstructing membranes just below the verumontanum in boys, the commonest congenital cause of bladder outlet obstruction; the prostatic urethra dilates above them.

## Why may a catheter catch in the prostatic urethra in BPH, and what catheter is designed for this?

BPH lengthens and distorts the prostatic urethra and can lift the bladder neck; a curved-tip (coudé) catheter is made for this.

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Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.

## Its names

**Official Latin (TA2)**
pars prostatica urethrae masculinae; colliculus seminalis

**Official Spanish (DeCS)**
Porción prostática de la uretra masculina

**English (TA2)**
Prostatic urethra; seminal colliculus

**Also called**
verumontanum

## Related

- [Prostate](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/prostate/)
- [Transition zone](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/transition-zone-of-prostate/)
- [Urethra (male)](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/male-urethra/)
- [Membranous urethra](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/intermediate-part-of-male-urethra/)

Sources: [Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis, Male Genitourinary Tract](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562291/).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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Source: https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/prostatic-urethra-seminal-colliculus/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/prostatic-urethra-seminal-colliculus/