Cystoscopy is an endoscopic examination of urinary bladder. The procedure enables physicians to look into the urinary bladder and reveal changes in its opening or mucosal lining. The examination is classified as a diagnostic procedure.

Urinary bladder examination may be performed:

• in cases of frequent cystites, or chronic cystitis, to assess the degree and nature of inflammatory changes;
• if blood was detected during a general urine test, or a reddening of urine was noticed during a visual inspection;
• in order to identify any stones in the urinary bladder;
• to reveal papillomas or tumors.

Cystoscopy is an essential tool employed by urinologists during the excision of a stricture (narrowing) of the urinary tract, when stones are removed from renal ducts with the use of extractors, when performing urinary bladder lithotripsy, to staunch urinary bladder bleeding, as well as for the performance of urinary bladder biopsy tests in cases of a suspected urinary bladder tumor.

Cystoscopy is also used for the removal of papillomas, for endovesical electrocoagulation of simple ulcer, to introduce medicinal preparations under the mucosal lining of the urinary bladder, and to remove prostate gland adenomas or cancer lesions with the use of the transurethral electrocoagulation technique.