Anterior urethral trauma in childhood: presentation of two cases.

INTRODUCTION

The incidence of urethral trauma in children is low given that they have a short, mobile urethra, largely protected by the pubis.

CLINICAL CASE: We describe two clinical cases illustrating the variety of presentations anterior urethral lesions can have. The first child had acute urinary retention two months after falling astride, with subsequent diagnosis of urethral stricture following serial voiding cystourethrogram (SVCU). The second child had urinary incontinence after falling off a horse. SVCU showed a urethral diverticulum, characterized through ultrasound imaging. Both were treated with deferred surgery.

REMARKS: Urethral lesion should always be suspected after perineal trauma. SVCU is the gold standard diagnostic technique. Deferred urethroplasty is the treatment of choice, with good results, but there is a risk of incontinence and impotence.