A Rare Presentation of Urethral Duplication in Conjunction With Anorectal Malformation Observed in a Male Infant

TL;DR

A male infant was born with rare combined birth defects involving the anus, rectum, and urethra, requiring early diagnosis and surgery for better outcomes.

Contribution

This paper reports a rare case of urethral duplication combined with anorectal malformation in a newborn, emphasizing diagnostic and surgical considerations.

Findings

The newborn had anorectal malformation with rectoperineal (scrotal) fistula and urethral duplication.

Early clinical screening and timely corrective surgeries improved the infant's clinical outcomes.

Thorough evaluation of urogenital defects is crucial in ARM cases for effective treatment planning.

Abstract

Anorectal malformation (ARM) refers to a group of congenital anomalies that affect the anus, rectum, and sometimes the urinary and reproductive tracts. A full-term male newborn was diagnosed with ARM and rectoperineal (scrotal) fistula during a first clinical screening examination at birth. He also had urethral duplication on the micturating cystourethrogram (MCUG) scan performed on Day 2 of life. The child underwent transverse colostomy at 24 h of life and corrective surgery (posterior sagittal anorectoplasty and urethroplasty) at 6 months of life, followed by colostomy closure after 3 months. This case highlights the importance of the first newborn clinical screening examination to rule out major congenital malformation and the thorough evaluation for associated urogenital defects in the case of ARM before definitive corrective surgeries for better clinical outcomes.

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