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.
What is PUV?
Posterior urethral valves (PUV) is a condition found only in boys that affects the urethra (the tube which runs from the bladder to the outside). The urinary system consists of the kidneys, the bladder and ureters. The kidneys filter the blood to remove waste products and form urine.
What is pop off mechanism?
Thus, the syndrome of posterior urethral valves, unilateral vesicoureteral reflux and renal dysplasia; large congenital bladder diverticula and urinary extravasation can serve as a “pop-off” mechanism to buffer high pressures in the urinary tract and to lead to the preservation of better renal function in boys with …
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 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.
How rare is PUV?
Posterior urethral valve (PUV) is the most common cause of severe obstructive uropathy in fetus accounting for 9% of cases of fetal urinary obstruction. Though the approximate incidence of PUV is 1/5000-8000 live born fetus, the exact etiology of this condition is still eluding.
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).
How is posterior urethral valve 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).
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.
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.