cystourethrography

DEFINITION of cystourethrography

Cystourethrography is a fluoroscopic or radiographic procedure in which radiopaque contrast material is introduced into the bladder and urethra to evaluate their anatomical structure and functional dynamics. It can be performed in two primary ways: retrograde (contrast is instilled via catheter from the urethra upward into the bladder) or voiding/anterograde (the patient voids while imaging captures contrast flow from the bladder through the urethra). It is used to detect abnormalities such as vesicoureteral reflux, urethral strictures, bladder neck obstruction, posterior urethral valves, fistulae, diverticula, and neuromuscular dysfunction of the lower urinary tract.

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ETYMOLOGY of cystourethrography

greek cysto- Greek _kystis_bladder, sac urethr(o)- Greek ourēthra urethra -graphy Greek graphia process of recording/imaging

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RELATED TERMS

• Cystography — imaging of the bladder only (no urethral assessment)
• Urethrocystography — synonym; term used interchangeably in CPT nomenclature
• Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) — retrograde flow of urine from bladder into ureters; primary diagnosis driving VCUG in pediatric patients
• Posterior urethral valves (PUV) — obstructive urethral leaflets detected on VCUG in males
• Urethral stricture — narrowing of the urethra, well-visualized on retrograde urethrography
• Neurogenic bladder — bladder dysfunction due to neurological impairment; VCUG helps characterize
• Bladder diverticulum — outpouching of bladder wall seen on cystourethrography
• Urodynamics — functional bladder study; often complementary to VCUG
• Fluoroscopy — the real-time X-ray modality used to capture the study

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ICD-10-CM Diagnostic Codes ✅ (common indications, verified)

Code	Description
N13.70	Vesicoureteral reflux, unspecified
N13.71	Vesicoureteral reflux without reflux nephropathy
N13.721	VUR with reflux nephropathy w/o hydroureter, unilateral
N13.722	VUR with reflux nephropathy w/o hydroureter, bilateral
N31.9	Neuromuscular dysfunction of bladder, unspecified
N31.8	Other neuromuscular dysfunction of bladder
N35.811	Other urethral stricture, male, meatal
N35.812	Other bulbous urethral stricture, male
N35.813	Other membranous urethral stricture, male
N35.82	Other urethral stricture, female

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CPT Codes (from coding knowledge — always verify against current AMA CPT)

Code	Description
74450	Urethrocystography, retrograde — radiology S&I
74455	Urethrocystography, voiding (VCUG) — radiology S&I
51600	Injection procedure for cystography or voiding urethrocystography
51605	Injection for cystography/voiding urethrocystography with calibration chain
51610	Injection procedure for retrograde urethrocystography

⚠️ CPT 74450/74455 are the radiology S&I codes; 51600/51610 are the procedural injection codes — both components are typically reported together when the urologist performs both.

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DERIVATIONS of cystourethrography

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Query functionality

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Med roots Appendix A Prefixes Appendix B Combining Forms Appendix C Suffixes Appendix D Suffix forms