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CASE REPORT article
Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Pediatric Urology
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fped.2025.1546561
A Rare Case of Renal Failure Secondary to In-Utero Megalourethra
Provisionally accepted
Sara Ali*
Veronica Nunez
Rayan Terkawi
Carolyn L Abitbol
Chryso Katsoufis
Jo Duara
Rodrigo RuanoTania Fontanez-Nieves- Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, United States
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Background:Megalourethra is a rare congenital condition marked by dilation and elongation of the penile urethra, resulting from hypoplasia of either the corpus spongiosum or corpus cavernosa.Case Presentation:We describe a novel case of a male infant prenatally diagnosed with megalourethra who subsequently developed rapid onset anhydramnios and advanced renal failure. Conclusion:Unlike previously described cases, this case is unique due to the patient’s abrupt progression to anhydramnios at 34 weeks and 5 days, despite having normal amniotic fluid levels prior to that. With late onset anhydramnios, the severity of renal dysfunction was unexpected. Proximal urethrostomy requires further assessment as a potential intervention to successfully bypass the megalourethra and prevent infection. Long-term management is expected to include dialysis as a bridge to transplantation. Multiple corrective urological surgeries will be required to repair the urethra and restore penile function. Timely prenatal diagnosis of megalourethra or renal anomalies is essential for predicting long-term prognosis, as these conditions can lead to significant postnatal complications.
Keywords: Congenital megalourethra, Anhydramnios, renal failure, pulmonary hypoplasia, Bladder
Received: 17 Dec 2024; Accepted: 24 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ali, Nunez, Terkawi, Abitbol, Katsoufis, Duara, Ruano and Fontanez-Nieves. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Sara Ali, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, United States
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