Antenatal and perinatal management of urinary malformations

Abstract

After the introduction of maternal US in the 1970s, many urinary tract anomalies are found in utero. On one hand this permits early diagnosis and treatment, avoiding debilitating sequelae to little children. On the other hand, there are many anomalies with no clinical significance and destined to disappear that are labeled as dangerous, creating a discomfort to the child and to the mother as well. The goal of the prenatal diagnosis is not only to obtain a differential diagnosis between pathologies that have similar elements on prenatal US but also to define the prognosis. The collaboration between specialists is fundamental for this purpose. In this context, the chapter takes into consideration various aspects of the prenatal diagnosis and perinatal management of urinary malformations.