Leopold Ritter von Dittel (May 29, 1815 – July 28, 1898) was an Austrian urologist who was born in Fulnek, which is now located in the Czech Republic.
Dittel received his medical doctorate in 1840 from the University of Vienna, and as a young physician spent considerable time working at the spas at Trentschin-Teplitz. From 1853 to 1857 he was an assistant to Johann von Dumreicher (1815-1880) and surgical assistant at the University of Vienna hospital. Later he became surgeon-in-chief of the Allgemeine Krankenhaus, and in 1865 was appointed professor of surgery at Vienna.
Dittel is known for establishing urology as an independent field of medicine at the University of Vienna. He developed several innovative diagnostic and surgical practices in regards to genitourinary medicine. He is remembered for his pioneer diagnostic work with the cystoscope, a device that had recently been invented by Maximilian Nitze (1848-1906). In urology, the cystoscope is used for endoscopic detection of bladder tumors and other urinary disorders. With Felix Legueu (1863-1939) the Dittel-Forgue-Legueu operation is named, which is a surgical procedure for closure of vesicovaginal fistulae (VVF).
A medical instrument known as a Dittel sound is named after him, which is used for treatment of stenosis of the urethra.