Outcome of Antenatally Presenting Posterior Urethral Valves (PUV) in Children.

BACKGROUND: To analyze the outcome of children with posterior urethral valves who presented with antenatal hydronephrosis. METHODS: A 10-year retrospective review of records of 70 children with posterior urethral valves. RESULTS: The mean (SD) gestational age at diagnosis was 34 (4.48) weeks, and age at intervention was 130.5 (170.9) days. The nadir creatinine was significantly raised (<1.2 mg/dl) in children with oligohydramnios and diversion. CONCLUSION: All boys with antenatally detected hydronephrosis need postnatal evaluation to rule out posterior urethral valves. Short term outcome is improved with postnatal treatments, and longer follow-up is needed to ensure a favourable outcome.

Posterior urethral valves and Cowper's syringocele: A rare association causing voiding dysfunction.

Urethral syringoceles are cystic dilatations of paired bulbourethral glands of Cowper. They can cause voiding dysfunction in male children and usually occur in isolation. We report a rare association of Cowper's syringocele with posterior urethral valves in a 4-year-old child, which was successfully managed endoscopically.

Autologous mesenchymal stem cells in chronic spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs in the most productive part of life. Treatment options for treatment of chronic SCI are few and have limited impact on clinical outcome. Central nervous system (CNS) has limited intrinsic regeneration capability. The study included patients with chronic complete SCI. Previously harvested autologous mesenchymal stem cells were administered at the site of injury after a laminectomy. Follow-up was done by a neutral examiner not involved in the surgery every 3 months. One patient had improvement in motor power. Two patients had a patchy improvement in pin prick sensation below the level of injury. Three different, progressively increasing doses did not result in improvement in the clinical outcome. Though the administration of allogenic human mesenchymal stem cells is safe in patients with SCI, it may not be efficacious; especially in patients with chronic SCI.

Making of a pediatric urologist.

The million-dollar question that we wish to address in this article is who should be the specialist for urological problems in children in India. What are the special attributes of a pediatric urologist? The answer to this question is far from simple and straightforward. Dogmatic rules do not provide a functional solution. While one has to admit that in India pediatric urological problems will be dealt with by urologists, as well as by pediatric and general surgeons, one has to also accept that lacunae do exist in the current curriculum and the methodology of training.A pediatric urologist by the virtue of definition would be a specially trained surgeon who would deal with urological diseases of children from newborn to adolescence (0-14 years). (In some instances e.g. exstrophy, renal transplant and continent procedures the age of treatment may even exceed up to 16 and above). He has the experience and the expertise to treat a child. Children are not miniaturized adults and newborns are not miniaturized children. Their physiology is different, they cannot always express their problems, answer questions and may not be cooperative during clinical examination.