Lower Urinary Tract Obstruction in Normal Male Children

Abstract

EPIDEMIOLOGIC studies of healthy children for urinary tract disease have been few and have concerned themselves primarily with bacteriuria.¹ The limitations of bacteriuria as the sole sign of uropathy become apparent when one considers the intermittent nature of urinary tract infection,^2-5 the wide use of antibiotics, many of which temporarily sterilize the urine,^3,6 and the frequent occurrence of uropathy without persistent infection of the urine.⁷ Additional practical screening procedures are needed. Obstruction to the flow of urine is the major predisposing factor in the pathogenesis of pyelonephritis.^8,9 Urogenital anomalies present in a significant segment of the pediatric age group¹⁰ are usually of an obstructive nature and often exert their influence in the early months of life.^8,11-13 Significant obstruction of the lower urinary tract may be expected to be productive of symptoms or signs or both which, if the patient were carefully and systematically