Management of the Valves of the Posterior Urethra in Urology

Abstract

Aim: Describe the clinical, radiological and management of patients with posterior urethral valves. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study over a period going from January 2011 to December 2016, reviewing 12 cases of patients treated for valves of the urethra posterior to the medical surgical center of urology in Cameroon at Douala. The variables studied were clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic and evolutionary. Results: In 5 years, we had diagnosed and treated 12 cases of posterior urethral valves, an average of 2.4 per year. The average age of patients was 41.6 months with extrems of 3 and 156 months. The reason for consultation was dominated by urinary tract infections. Urethrocystography and echography were performed in all patients and allowed to objectify a bilateral ureterohydronephrosis, a diverticular bladder in 9 cases and 4 cases of vesico-ureteral reflux, including a grade 4 according to the classification of Cendron, 8 patients suffered from acute urinary failure. Renal scintigraphyrealised on 3 patients had as objective in 1 patient the existence of a disfunctioning kidney. The treatment consisted of an endoscopic incision of the valves (n = 8), a vesicostomy (n = 3) and an iterative urethral dilatation with double J catheter placement (n = 1). The evolution was favorable (n = 7), and 5 cases of death were recorded. Conclusion: The endoscopic incision is the gold-standard of the treatment of the valves of the posterior urethra. The vesicostomy is an alternative in the absence of adequate technical platform. Despite adequate support, the prognosis remains burdened with significant mortality.