Possible maternal inheritance of a common obstructive urinary tract anomaly. Report of a case of a woman with multiple urinary tract infections and two sons with posterior urethral valves.

BACKGROUND

Posterior urethral valves (PUVs) are the most common cause of lower urinary tract obstruction in boys. Several prior reports have described PUV in siblings and twins, often with a variable phenotype.

CASE: PUVs were found in two brothers. The first child had developmental delay, while the second had a branchial cleft cyst and an anteriorly rotated right ear. The children's mother had a history of numerous urinary tract infections of unknown etiology.

CONCLUSION

Though most cases of PUV appear to be sporadic, there are reports that suggest a partial genetic etiology, as our case suggests.