Where are posterior urethral valves located?
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.
Why is PUV only in males?
Posterior urethral valve (PUV) disorder is an obstructive developmental anomaly in the urethra and genitourinary system of male newborns. A posterior urethral valve is an obstructing membrane in the posterior male urethra as a result of abnormal in utero development….
| Posterior urethral valve | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Urology |
Why does posterior urethral valves happen?
What causes 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.
When is PUV diagnosed?
After birth. In some boys, PUV are not diagnosed until later in life. Signs of PUV include problems passing urine, wetting themselves or urinary tract infections. Your child will need some tests to find out whether he has PUV.
How common is PUV?
PUV is a type of bladder outlet obstruction. It affects 1 in 8,000 boys a year worldwide, and about 500 babies a year total in United States.
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 a kidney disease?
Between 15 and 20 percent of people with PUV develop a condition called kidney failure. This can occur before the child is born, during the first few weeks of life, or later in life. When this happens, the child will need dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Can PUV be cured?
How is PUV treated? The most important treatment after the baby is born is to drain the bladder to take pressure off the kidneys. The bladder can be drained with a catheter or tube. Then when the baby is bigger, the PUV can be removed with surgery.
Is PUV curable?
PUV need to be removed by surgery. Sometimes, other treatment is needed. Boys who have had PUV may have problems in their kidneys and/or bladder later in childhood, and will need follow-up throughout their lives.