[Prenatal ultrasonic detection of asymptomatic urogenital abnormalities: advantages and disadvantages]

Prenatal ultrasound studies have significantly contributed to the understanding of congenital abnormalities of the urinary tract and the development of pediatric urology over the past decade. Besides providing more insight into pathophysiology of the developing urinary tract, it has promoted the possibilities of early postnatal intervention and of studying the natural history of developmental abnormalities such as pelviureteral junction obstruction and vesico-ureteric reflux. The downside of this development has been and probably still is a considerable amount of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for so-called abnormalities which, left alone, will disappear with time and without significant sequelae. On the other hand, many children with severe obstructive uropathy are alive today because of early intervention. Longterm follow-up studies are needed to prove the efficacy of prenatal screening and to ascertain the contribution of these technical possibilities to quality of life.