[Pediatric anterior urethral injuries: time to take stock]

Introduction: Anterior urethral injuries are a rare entity in the pediatric age group. Data of the literature are limited to the injuries of the posterior urethra. The aim of this study was to take stock of the initial management of this disease, from our experience and data of the literature.

Patients and methods: A literature review and a retrospective study were conducted. We used our department database to find all the patients treated for anterior urethral injuries at the Children's Hospital of Toulouse between 2000 and 2011. Data on patients with trauma of the anterior urethra were analysed.

Results: Among the 13 patients treated for urethral injuries, seven patients had trauma to the anterior urethra. The initial symptom was an acute retention of urine in three cases (43%) and urethral bleeding in six cases (85%). All patients with acute retention of urine had emergency management consisting in endoscopic realignment and urinary diversion by suprapubic catheter. Patients with hematuria were treated with paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. After a mean follow-up of 507 days (332-893), none had dysuria and no posttraumatic stenosis has been demonstrated in uroflowmetry.

Conclusion: In our experience, the trauma of the anterior urethra of the child had a satisfactory development through appropriate management. Clinical and uroflometry follow-up is necessary.