Prenatal diagnosis of urinary tract malformation.

Malformation of the urinary tract (UT) is among the most common of all congenital malformations. Prior to the common usage of prenatal ultrasound, these anomalies were undetected until pediatric complications prompted investigation. When diagnosed and treated in early infancy, children with urinary tract malformations have a much better prognosis than when diagnosis is delayed beyond 1-2 years. Since the first report of the prenatal diagnosis of polycystic kidney disease by Garrett et al. in 1970, most forms of congenital urinary tract malformation have been diagnosed antenatally with the use of sonography. A review of the normal and abnormal development of the urinary system, some genetic aspects of UT malformations, and an overview of the major UT anomalies and their prenatal diagnosis is presented.