Urethral Atresia

Etiology: Congenital absence of urethra
Imaging Prenatal US: Anhydramnios or oligohydramnios
Imaging:
— Bilateral hydroureteronephrosis and dilated bladder
— Cystic renal dysplasia
— Urinoma or urine ascites
DDX: Posterior urethral valves
Complications: Incompatible with life
Treatment: Intra uterine vesico-amniotic shunt
Clinical: Oligohydramnios

Radiology Cases of Urethral Atresia

AXR of urethral atresia — Postmortem CXR and AXR shows an extremely distended abdomen due to bilateral abdominal masses resulting in a small thorax. An umbilical catheter fragment is also present.

US of urethral atresia resulting in cystic renal dysplasia, urine ascites and oligohydramnios — Sagittal US of the left kidney (above left) shows it to be small, echogenic, and to contain multiple cysts. Sagittal US of the right kidney (above right) shows it to have a similiar appearance. There is also a large amount of anechoic fluid around the right kidney which represents urine ascites. Transverse US of the bladder (below left) shows it to be thick walled. CXR AP (below right) shows a small bell-shaped chest with bilateral chest tubes present that were treating the bilateral pneumothoraces that were present at birth.

Clinical Cases of Urethral Atresia

Clinical image of Potter's facies due to urethral atresia — Post-mortem gross pathological image shows Potter’s facies – a flattened face and low set ears – and a small thorax with pulmonary hypoplasia and large abdomen.

Gross Pathology Cases of Urethral Atresia

Gross pathology image of cystic renal dysplasia and a trabeculated bladder due to urethral atresia — Post-mortem gross pathological image shows bilaterally enlarged kidneys containing multiple large cysts and a trabeculated bladder inferior to the right kidney.

Gross pathology image of cystic renal dysplasia and a trabeculated bladder due to urethral atresia — Post-mortem gross pathological image shows enlarged kidneys containing multiple large cysts bilaterally, left hydroureter (which was also present on the right) and a thick walled and trabeculated bladder.

Gross pathology image of cystic renal dysplasia due to urethral atresia — Gross pathological sectioned image shows an enlarged kidney which contains multiple large cysts.