[Congenital obstructive valves and diverticula of the anterior urethra]

Obstructive lesions of the anterior urethra (valves, saccular diverticula) are rare, and can be difficult to diagnose. Three recent cases have led us to review the existing french and english literature and we have found case histories for 81 cases, encountered over a twenty year period. The anatomic interpretation of the lesions is far from being univocal; however many authors clearly distinguish between valves and diverticula, the basic difference residing in the contiguity between the anomaly and the corpus spongiosum. Where the clinical presentation depends on age, the diagnosis depends essentially on the voiding cysto urethrography, which must objectify the whole of the urethra. Generally speaking the treatment for the valves is simple, consisting in endoscopic resection. In the case of diverticula, it is not always necessary or desirable to remove the diverticulum itself; if there is a well-formed distal obstructing lip, removing it may be enough to cure the obstruction.