This work is a presentation of a roentgenological study of the male urethra and prostate after the end of the injection of the contrast medium into the urethra. Among the 268 cases there is a group of normal cases (55) and another group with different types of pathologic lesions in the urethra and prostate (213). In this study particular weight has been laid upon the change of the contrast medium injected into the posterior urethra in the course of time after the end of the injection, which determines the quality of the sphincteric fuction of the posterior urethra. In order to observe this four serial urethrograms have been taken after the end of the injection (15 seconds, a minute, two and three minutes).
Up to the present no systematic study of the urethrography after the end of the injection has been carried out and some workers have made sporadic observations (LANGER & WITTKOWSKY, BURDEN, CRUZ, ORTMANN & CHRISTIANSEN, KNUTSSON, NAKAO and YANASE). Almost workers have found that the posterior urethra was filled with contrast medium only during injection, and it was completely empty of the contrast medium after the end of the injection. The result of this study is as follows.
1) As contrast medium 60% Pyraceton C has been used.
2) In normal conditions, the contrast medium injected into the posterior urethra disappears at first place in membranous portion, then gradually passed into the urinary bladder. But a part of the contrast medium in membranous portion passes into bulbous portion. After the end of the injection the valve-formation is made by the relaxation of the muscle of the posterior urethra, which may turn the contrast medium out of the posterior urethra. Furthermore the changes of the urethrogram in the course of time after the end of the injection have been discussed in detail by means of kymography of the urethra.
3) After the end of the injection, the changes of the urethrogram are occured mainly by the smooth muscles of the posterior urethra. On the contrary, when the pelvic floor is contracted the striated muscle mainly.
4) As regards pathologic cases, a rest of contrast medium has been seen in the posterior urethra in the picture of two minutes after the end of the injection in many cases. The rest is remarkable in cases of the prostatic hypertrophy and the chronic prostatitis, of which valve-formation may be markedly injured by inflammatory infiltration or sclerosis of the wall of the posterior urethra.
5) Therefore picture after the end of the injection may be important in diagnosis of sphincteric function of the urethra.

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For the purpose of studying the form of the female bladder neck together with its sphincteric function, the author observed 38 normal cases and 158 abnormal ones which have diseases of the lower urinary tract, by means of roentgenography of the bladder neck and urethrocystography (emptying picture, contraction picture and injection picture), and then compared the radiological findings with the endoscopic findings and the histological findings.
1. As for many diseases, each radiographic appearance of the internal urethral orifice and trigone was observed in the picture of 15 seconds after injection, above all it is remarkable that the relief shadow was found in urethrocystitis.
2. In the picture of two minutes after injection, the rest of contrast medium in the bladder neck suggests organic diseases and sphincteric dysfunctions of the bladder and urethra, and therefore it has a great diagnostic value.
3. By using rcentgenography of the bladder neck, the female bladder neck was classified into four types in anteroposterior position, and four types in oblique position.
4. In the picture of two minutes after injection, the appearance of the ampulla of the urethra was classified into four types by the difference of tension at the external sphincter.
5. As the result of fluoroscopy as for the normal female, it has been proved that the external sphincter plays the leading part in the sphincteric mechanism of the bladder and urethra.
6. As for the cases of urethrocystitis, a comparative study of the change of the bladder neck was made before and after therapy by means of the emptying urethrocystography and the endoscopic and histological examinations, and the interesting findings were obtained.

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