Bladder exstrophy is a congenital anomality in which part of the urinary bladder is present outside the body. It is rare, occurring once every 10,000 to 50,000 live births with a 2:1 male:female ratio. The diagnosis involves a spectrum of anomalies of the lower abdominal wall, bladder, anterior bony pelvis, and external genitalia. It occurs due to failure of the abdominal wall to close during fetal development and results in protrusion of the anterior bladder wall through the lower abdominal wall.
Treatment is with surgical correction of the defect, but patients can still have long term issues with urinary tract infections and urinary incontinence.
Read more about Bladder Exstrophy: Pathogenesis, Spectrum of Anomalies, Diagnosis, Evaluation and Management At Birth, Treatment, Prognosis
Famous quotes containing the word bladder:
“Consider the vice president, George Bush, a man so bedeviled by bladder problems that he managed, for the last eight years, to be in the men’s room whenever an important illegal decision was made.”
—Barbara Ehrenreich (b. 1941)