By Is posterior urethral valves rare?
Posterior urethral valves is a rare condition affecting males. The cause is not known. It occurs in the early stages of fetal development. About 1 in 8,000 to 10,000 male infants are affected.
Is posterior urethral valves normal?
Urethral valves are congenital, which means that boys are born with these extra flaps of tissue. It’s still not clear what causes these disorders, but they are believed to occur early on in male fetal development and may have a genetic component. Normally, the flaps of tissue in the urethra are very small structures.
Do Urethras have valves?
The urethra is the tube that drains urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. These valves are small leaflets of tissue in the urethra. They partly block urine flow because not enough urine can get through them to leave the body.
How are posterior urethral valves treated?
Surgery. In the majority of cases, urethral valves are treated with a surgical procedure called endoscopic incision of the valves. Also known as valve ablation or urethral valve ablation, this is a surgical technique that trims down excessive tissue of the valves.
Can females have posterior urethral valves?
Congenital posterior urethral valves are a common cause of severe lower urinary tract obstruction in young males (4, 6). Some authors have stated that urethral valves occur exclusively in males (2, 6), but others have indicated that the lesions may rarely be encountered in females (3–5, 7).
Is posterior urethral valves genetic?
Many of them have been shown to have a familial or genetic background. In children, posterior urethral valves (PUVs) are the most common cause of lower urinary tract infection. Incidence is known to occur in approximately 1 of every 5000-8000 births and only in male infants.
Do females have posterior urethral valves?
How is posterior urethral valve diagnosed?
The diagnosis of posterior urethral valves is made by radiographic imaging with ultrasound and voiding cystourethrogram. Ultrasound will usually show a dilated urethra, bladder, and kidneys; it is supportive of the diagnosis of posterior urethral valves, but not confirmatory.
Where are posterior urethral valves located?
A posterior urethral valve (PUV) is a leftover flap of fetal tissue that is located in the urethra. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body. PUV develops during the early weeks of pregnancy. It affects boys only.
Is PUV curable?
PUV is one type of bladder outlet obstruction – these extra flaps of tissue block (obstruct) urine flowing out of the bladder and through the urethra. This can cause complications in a newborn baby. Once the PUV are confirmed, they need to be removed by surgery. Some boys have no symptoms or complications after this.
Is PUV serious?
PUV can cause serious problems because they stop – or partially stop – urine flowing out of the bladder and through the urethra. After the PUV are removed by surgery, some boys have no symptoms or complications.
How many babies are born with posterior urethral valves?
PUV are thought to develop in the early stages of fetal development. The abnormality affects only male infants and occurs in about 1 in 8,000 births. This disorder is usually sporadic (occurs by chance). However, some cases have been seen in twins and siblings, suggesting a genetic component.