POSTERIOR URETHRAL DIVERTICULA - A COMPLICATION OF SURGERY FOR HIGH ANORECTAL-MALFORMATIONS

We describe five boys, all of whom presented with urinary tract infect ion or acquired urinary incontinence some years after surgery for a hi gh anorectal malformation (ARM). All were found to have a posterior ur ethral diverticulum thought to represent the remains of the original r ectourethral fistula accompanying the high rectal atresia. Excision of the diverticula resulted in complete relief of symptoms. The clinical features and radiological appearances of the diverticula are describe d. A urethral diverticulum is one treatable cause of urinary symptoms in children with high anorectal malformations, and should be considere d when symptoms recur late after definitive surgical correction of the malformation.