Prenatal diagnosis of posterior urethral valves in siblings

Posterior urethral valves are an important cause of obstructive uropathy in the newborn. The diagnosis may be suspected on prenatal ultrasonography, the consistent finding being bilateral ureterohydronephrosis together with a thick-walled, persistently full bladder in a male fetus. There may also be variable degrees of oligohydramnios. This paper reports the case of siblings in whom posterior urethral valves were recognized prenatally. The first child progressed well after appropriate surgical management, but the second died within 24 h of birth.