Successful outcome following prenatal intervention in a female fetus with bladder outlet obstruction

Bladder outlet obstructions are a diverse and heterogeneous group of developmental abnormalities that generally involve obstruction of the proximal urethra in the male fetus. Indications for prenatal intervention are few and are usually restricted to the male fetus because bladder outlet obstruction in female fetuses is usually caused by complex cloacal development anomalies. We report on a female fetus with an enlarged bladder and a dilated proximal urethra (known as typical keyhole sign). A vesicoamniotic shunt was performed despite non-reassuring prognostic factors, but the procedure resulted in a successful outcome. We propose that in selected cases of bladder outlet obstruction, fetal intervention should be considered even when the fetus is female. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.