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Published on: January 7, 2019
Urethral strictures in children
1University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, California, USA. gkaplan@rchsd.org
Insights
Evidence for treating pediatric urethral strictures is limited, often extrapolated from adult data. Further multi-institutional studies are needed for better diagnosis and treatment guidelines.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Urology
- Urethral Stricture Disease
Background:
- Pediatric urethral strictures are uncommon, with limited high-quality evidence for management.
- Current treatment strategies are largely based on adult literature and case series.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current literature on pediatric urethral strictures.
- To provide evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and treatment in children.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of pediatric urethral stricture cases.
- Analysis based on an unpublished consensus committee report from the Societe Internationale d'Urologie.
Main Results:
- The evidence base for pediatric stricture therapy is low, primarily from single-institution case series.
- Most available information is extrapolated from adult urology literature.
Conclusions:
- There is a significant need for prospective, multi-institutional studies on pediatric urethral strictures.
- Basic research into urethral wound healing is required for improved understanding and treatment.
Purpose Of The Review:
The review is an attempt to present the current literature regarding strictures in children to provide an evidence-based recommendation regarding diagnosis and treatment.
Recent Findings:
The level of evidence upon which to base therapy of strictures in children is low and consists mostly of case series from single institutions. Hence most of the information is extrapolated from the adult literature. A consensus committee of the Societe Internationale d'Urologie reviewed the literature, and the committee report (which is as yet unpublished) provides the basis for most of the information herein.
Summary:
Because there is relatively little information published on this subject, there is a need for prospective studies and multi-institutional series. Additionally, there is a need for basic studies of urethral wound healing to provide a better understanding of the problem.
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