Solitary polyp of posterior urethra in children: report on seventeen cases
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R De Castro1, P Campobasso, G Belloli
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Bologna, Italy.
Insights
Endoscopic resection of solitary posterior urethral polyps in children is safe and effective. This minimally invasive technique using a pediatric cystoscope and electrocautery successfully treated 17 pediatric patients without complications.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Urology
- Endourology
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Solitary polyps of the posterior urethra are rare pediatric urogenital anomalies.
- These polyps can cause lower urinary tract symptoms.
- Histologically, they are typically fibroepithelial polyps.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a series of pediatric patients with solitary posterior urethral polyps.
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of transurethral endoscopic resection for these polyps.
- To describe the clinical presentation, endoscopic findings, and histological characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Seventeen children (4 months to 12 years) with solitary posterior urethral polyps were treated.
- Endoscopic fulguration of the polyp stalk was performed using a pediatric cystoscope and a Bugbee electrode.
- The procedure was performed transurethrally without meatotomy.
Main Results:
- All 17 patients were successfully treated with no reported complications or relapses.
- Polyp dimensions ranged from 4 mm to 27 mm.
- Histological examination confirmed fibroepithelial polyps in all retrieved specimens.
Conclusions:
- Transurethral endoscopic resection is a safe and highly effective treatment for solitary posterior urethral polyps in children.
- This minimally invasive approach avoids the need for meatotomy and is suitable for all pediatric age groups.
- Fibroepithelial polyps are the predominant histological finding.
Abstract:
Seventeen cases of a solitary polyp of posterior urethra in children (ages ranged between 4 months and 12 years) are presented. All patients were treated endoscopically using a 10 Fr. pediatric cystoscope, equipped with a straight ahead lens, and a Bugbee 3 Fr. electrode to fulgurate the stalk of the polyp through the urethra, without meatotomy. No complications or relapses are recorded, which proves the safety and the efficiency of the transurethral endoscopic resection in all pediatric ages. With the exception of one case, the smallest polyp of the series, lost because entirely burnt during the electrocution, all polyps were recuperated and examined histologically. The dimensions of the polyps ranged from 4 mm to 27 mm length. Their shape varied from a long "cordon-like" peduncle to a short stalk, "balloon-like" appendix. The histologic features were similar, the main component was an axis of connective tissue and vessels, surrounded by transitional epithelium, usually described as a fibroepithelial polyp.