Prenatal management of urogenital disorders

Antenatal sonography has increased the detection of urogenital anomalies markedly, including conditions that lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Prenatal intervention is feasible to arrest and sometimes reverse the sequelae of bladder-outlet obstruction, but not necessarily renal damage. Myelomeningoceles, the most severe form of spina bifida,can be corrected in utero, with improvements in hydrocephalus and a decreased incidence of ventricular shunting postnatally. Medical therapy to prevent virilization associated with congenital adrenal hyperplasia has been successful, with improved ability to detect its presence prenatally. As techniques evolve to correct underlying disease processes,it becomes important to assess the therapies critically, particularly with long-term outcome data.