What is congenital posterior urethral valves?
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.
Is posterior urethral valves normal?
Posterior urethral valves is a rare condition affecting males. The cause is not known. It occurs in the early stages of fetal development.
Is posterior urethral valves rare?
Epidemiology. It is the most common anomaly of LUTO with a prevalence estimated at 1/4,750-6,250 male births. Posterior urethral valves (PUV) occur exclusively in males.
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.
Is PUV hereditary?
Experts are uncertain about what causes posterior urethral valve disorder. There is some evidence that it has a genetic component, but it’s not believed to be passed from parents to children. We do know that PUV was not caused by anything you did or didn’t do before or during pregnancy.
What is PUV in pregnancy?
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.
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.
Where are posterior urethral valves located?
Posterior urethral valves (PUV), occur in males and are excess flaps of tissue in the posterior urethra, which is the tube that drains urine from the bladder to the outside of the body for elimination. These extra flaps in the urethra block the regular flow of urine out from the body.
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 PUV inherited?
It is not known why some boys have PUV. They are not inherited from the mother or father, or caused by anything that the mother does during her pregnancy. PUV may happen with other anomalies or abnormalities in the urinary system. This may mean that one or both kidneys or ureters do not develop properly.
Is PUV genetic?
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.
What is PUV in urology?
PUV is an abnormality of the urethra, which is the tube that drains urine from the bladder to the outside of the body for elimination. The abnormality occurs when the urethral valves, which are small leaflets of tissue, have a narrow, slit-like opening that partially impedes urine outflow.
What do you need to know about posterior urethral valves?
Posterior Urethral Valves (PUV) What are posterior urethral valves? Posterior urethral valves (PUV) are obstructive membranes that develop in the urethra (tube that drains urine from the bladder), close to the bladder. The valve can obstruct or block the outflow of urine through the urethra.
How are valve ablations done for posterior urethral valves?
Valve ablation: Once PUV are identified, they need to be surgically incised. During valve ablation, the urologist will insert a cystoscope, a small device with a light and a camera lens at the end.
Are there congenital defects in the posterior urethral valve?
Posterior urethral valves are also seen in association with other congenital abnormalities including 2: chromosomal abnormalities, e.g. Down syndrome 5. bowel atresia. craniospinal defects.
How are the valves cut in the urethra?
Once your child is stable the posterior urethral valves are treated. This is done inserting a camera into the urethra. The valves are cut from the inside using the camera (endoscopic valve ablation).