ABSTRACT
Posterior urethral valves (PUVs) are the main cause of urethral obstruction in newborns and infants that continues to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric-age patients. Congenital obstruction of posterior the urethra has been recognized for almost 200 years, as the earliest description of this condition in infants was by an Italian anatomist, Giovanni Battista Morgagni, in 1717. The epidemiology of PUV is uncertain to define, as most authors believe that only those with typical appearance on voiding cystourethrograms (VCUGs) should be counted. Obstruction of the male posterior urethra is a congenital abnormality, which is considered to have no genetic basis and no pattern of inheritance. There is no agreement as regards the true embryogenesis. Congenital posterior urethral obstruction interferes with all the lower and upper urinary tract, causing significant anatomical and functional changes. The congenital urethral obstruction is responsible for significant changes in the bladder reservoir, with consequences in the upper urinary tract and renal parenchyma.
