Are urethral valves normal?
Are 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.
What is the posterior urethral valve?
Posterior urethral valves are small leaflets of tissue in the urethra. They have a narrow, slit-like opening. The valves partly block urine flow because not enough urine can get through them to leave the body. This causes a reverse flow of urine. This can harm the urethra, bladder, ureters, and kidneys.
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.
How are posterior urethral valves treated?
The most common treatment for posterior urethral valves is a minor surgical procedure to remove the obstructing valve. This is done through a cystoscope with a camera that is inserted into the urethra. The valve is burned away (ablated).
What are the 3 parts of the male urethra?
The male urethra is often divided into 3 segments on the basis of its investing structures: prostatic urethra, membranous urethra, and spongy (or penile) urethra. Male urethra and its segments.
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.
Is PUV genetic?
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.
When to suspect posterior urethral valves in children?
Observing the stream of urine while the child is micturiting will reveal a poor stream, falling close to the body, child straining while passing urine. When posterior urethral valves are suspected, investigations are a must to arrive at the diagnosis, the severity of the damage already caused, planning of the mode of treatment.
What are the posterior urethral valves ( PUV )?
What are posterior urethral valves (PUV)? 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.
Who is the inventor of the posterior urethral valve?
The initial three level classification system of posterior urethral valves was proposed in 1919 by Hugh Hampton Young (1870–1945). Young also developed a transurethral punch instrument to treat these valves 9,10.
What happens if the posterior urethral valve is left uncorrected?
Posterior Urethral Valves. The pressure restricts the ability of the kidney to work normally and if there is no let up in pressure, the function of the kidney begins to deteriorate and if left uncorrected even after birth, or if the stagnant urine in the pelvis and ureter gets infected – that kidney starts failing.
