What does an abnormal cystoscopy reading indicate?

An abnormal cystoscopy reading may indicate the presence of bladder stones, cysts, polyps, irritable bladder, traumatic injury, tumors, ulcer, an enlarged prostate or other abnormalities. Your doctor will review the test results to more accurately pinpoint the abnormalities in relation to your symptoms.

There are multiple ways a doctor may check for potential bladder abnormalities. First, a simple urine analysis is often completed to determine if a bladder infection is present. This involves obtaining a sample of urine from you and looking for the presence of abnormal cells or molecules that might suggest an infection. Depending on your symptoms, urodynamic testing is also a method doctors use to assess the bladder. This involves measuring the strength and rate of flow during urination. Lastly, a urologist may use a camera to visualize the inner surface of the bladder. This procedure is called cystoscopy and involves the passage of a small camera into the urethra and subsequently into the bladder.