The impact of prenatal sonography on the morbidity and outcome of patients with renal duplication anomalies.

Historically, most patients with a renal duplication anomaly associated with upper pole hydronephrosis underwent upper pole nephrectomy and partial ureterectomy. Prenatal sonography has resulted in increased recognition of these anomalies and, therefore, earlier urological referral and evaluation. We investigated whether as a result more upper pole moieties were preserved by performing alternative procedures, such as ureteroureterostomy. In addition, the impact on overall morbidity of the disease and its treatment is assessed. Since 1984, of 29 patients treated for ectopic ureter or ureterocele 13 presented initially with a diagnosis of prenatal hydronephrosis. Of these patients, 5 (38.5%) underwent a renal sparing procedure consisting of ureteroureterostomy in 4 and excision of ureterocele with common sheath ureteral reimplantation in 1. The remaining 8 patients underwent upper pole nephrectomy and partial ureterectomy for a nonfunctioning upper pole moiety. In contrast, of 16 patients who presented without having undergone prenatal sonography only 2 (12.5%) underwent a renal preserving procedure. Initial treatment in the remaining 14 patients was upper pole nephrectomy and partial ureterectomy. The average age at initial treatment in the prenatally detected group was 3 months, compared with 5 years in the other group. Only 1 of the 13 patients (8%) in the prenatally detected group had symptoms, whereas 14 of 16 in the other group (87.5%) presented with significant symptoms consisting of sepsis in 12, an abdominal mass in 1, urinary incontinence in 1, and an incidental diagnosis made during evaluation of an associated anomaly in 2. Although there is still controversy regarding the impact of prenatal detection of hydronephrosis on the preservation of renal function in patients with a single system, our results show a beneficial effect in patients with duplication anomalies. This was reflected in our ability to salvage the upper pole moieties 3 times more frequently than was previously possible with minimal morbidity. More importantly, the potential serious clinical manifestations of these duplication anomalies in later life were eliminated by virtue of early treatment.