Pediatric urology
Encyclopedia
Pediatric urology is a surgical subspecialty of medicine dealing with the disorders of children's genitourinary systems. Pediatric urologists provide care for both boys and girls ranging from birth to early adult age. The most common problems are those involving disorders of urination and testes.
Some of the problems they deal with are:
In North America, most pediatric urologists are associated with children's hospital
s. Training for board certification
in pediatric urology typically consists of a surgery internship as part of a urology residency
followed by subspecialty training in pediatric urology at a major children's hospital.
Some of the problems they deal with are:
- BladderUrinary bladderThe urinary bladder is the organ that collects urine excreted by the kidneys before disposal by urination. A hollow muscular, and distensible organ, the bladder sits on the pelvic floor...
control problems such as bedwettingBedwettingNocturnal enuresis, commonly called bedwetting, is involuntary urination while asleep after the age at which bladder control usually occurs. Nocturnal enuresis is considered primary when a child has not yet had a prolonged period of being dry...
and daytime urinary incontinenceUrinary incontinenceUrinary incontinence is any involuntary leakage of urine. It is a common and distressing problem, which may have a profound impact on quality of life. Urinary incontinence almost always results from an underlying treatable medical condition but is under-reported to medical practitioners... - Undescended testes (cryptorchidismCryptorchidismCryptorchidism is the absence of one or both testes from the scrotum. It is the most common birth defect regarding male genitalia. In unique cases, cryptorchidism can develop later in life, often as late as young adulthood. About 3% of full-term and 30% of premature infant boys are born with at...
) - HypospadiasHypospadiasHypospadias is a birth defect of the urethra in the male that involves an abnormally placed urinary meatus...
- UrolithiasisUrolithiasisA bladder stone is a solid concretion or crystal aggregation found in the urinary bladder...
(bladder and kidney stones) - ChordeeChordeeChordee is a condition in which the head of the penis curves downward or upward, at the junction of the head and shaft of the penis. The curvature is usually most obvious during erection, but resistance to straightening is often apparent in the flaccid state as well. In many cases but not all,...
and other minor malformations of the penisPenisThe penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates... - PhimosisPhimosisPhimosis , from the Greek phimos ), is a condition where, in men, the foreskin cannot be fully retracted over the glans penis...
- Urinary obstruction and vesicoureteral refluxVesicoureteral refluxVesicoureteral reflux is an abnormal movement of urine from the bladder into ureters or kidneys. Urine normally travels from the kidneys via the ureters to the bladder...
- Neurogenic bladderNeurogenic bladderNeurogenic bladder refers to dysfunction of the urinary bladder due to disease of the central nervous system or peripheral nerves involved in the control of micturition .-Causes:...
(e.g., associated with spina bifidaSpina bifidaSpina bifida is a developmental congenital disorder caused by the incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube. Some vertebrae overlying the spinal cord are not fully formed and remain unfused and open. If the opening is large enough, this allows a portion of the spinal cord to protrude through...
) - Tumors and cancers of the kidneys
- Repair of genitourinary traumaPhysical traumaTrauma refers to "a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident." It can also be described as "a physical wound or injury, such as a fracture or blow." Major trauma can result in secondary complications such as circulatory shock, respiratory failure and death...
- Genitourinary malformations and birth defects
- Prune belly syndromePrune belly syndromePrune belly syndrome is a rare, genetic, birth defect affecting about 1 in 40,000 births. About 97% of those affected are male. Prune belly syndrome is a congenital disorder of the urinary system, characterized by a triad of symptoms. The syndrome is named for the mass of wrinkled skin that is...
- Cloacal exstrophyCloacal exstrophyCloacal exstrophy is a severe birth defect wherein much of the abdominal organs are exposed. It often causes the splitting of both male and female genitalia , and the anus is occasionally sealed.Cloacal exstrophy is an extremely rare birth defect, present in only one in 200,000 pregnancies - one...
, bladder exstrophyBladder exstrophyBladder 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...
, and epispadiasEpispadiasAn epispadias is a rare type of malformation of the penis in which the urethra ends in an opening on the upper aspect of the penis. It can also develop in females when the urethra develops too far anteriorly... - Ambiguous genitalia and intersexIntersexIntersex, in humans and other animals, is the presence of intermediate or atypical combinations of physical features that usually distinguish female from male...
conditions
- Prune belly syndrome
In North America, most pediatric urologists are associated with children's hospital
Children's hospital
A children's hospital is a hospital which offers its services exclusively to children . The number of children's hospitals proliferated in the 20th century, as pediatric medical and surgical specialties separated from internal medicine and adult surgical specialties...
s. Training for board certification
Board certification
Board certification is the process by which a physician , dentist , or podiatrist in the United States demonstrates through either written, practical, and/or simulator based testing, a mastery of the basic knowledge and skills that define an area of medical specialization...
in pediatric urology typically consists of a surgery internship as part of a urology residency
Residency (medicine)
Residency is a stage of graduate medical training. A resident physician or resident is a person who has received a medical degree , Podiatric degree , Dental Degree and who practices...
followed by subspecialty training in pediatric urology at a major children's hospital.