ABOUT THE DISEASE

Bladder exstrophy is a congenital abnormality (present at birth) in which the bladder and associated structures are improperly formed. Instead of its normal round shape, the bladder is flattened in this case. The skin, muscle and pelvic bones joining the lower part of the abdomen do not form properly so the inside of the bladder is exposed outside the abdomen. There are associated deficiencies of the abdominal muscles and pelvic bones also. This congenital birth defect is seen in one of 10,000 to 50,000 live births.

CAUSES

There is no known cause for this problem, however seems to run in families (The risk of a family having more than one child with this condition is approximately one in 100, and children born to a parent with exstrophy have a risk of approximately one in 70 of having the condition). Also according to some recent studies risk of bladder exstrophy in children born as a result of assisted fertility techniques is seven times greater than in children conceived naturally without assistance.

DIAGNOSIS

Diagnosis can be made on careful repeated ultrasounds done before delivery, but usually the diagnosis is not made until the baby is born. At that time it is diagnosed by a physical examination of the child.

TREATMENT METHODS

Bladder Exstrophy repair - it involves reconstruction of the various aspects of the deformity (i.e. closing the bladder, repair of the penis, and prevention of urine leakage). This usually involves separate operations at various times in the life of the child to obtain the best results.

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