Ureteropelvic junction obstruction in the first three months of life: is sex a prognostic factor?

Abstract

Ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) is a blockage that occurs at the point where the renal pelvis (the part of the kidney where urine collects) meets the ureter (the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder). This study compared outcomes between male and female patients with UPJO. 402 UPJO patients diagnosed and treated before the age of three months were divided into two groups: males and females. The following information was extracted: age at diagnosis, age at surgery, the parenchymal thickness of the UPJ and contralateral sides (preoperatively and at 1 and 3 years postoperatively), pelvic diameter, and kidney function. There were 287 male and 115 female patients (a ratio of 2.5:1). The parenchymal thickness (PTs) at diagnosis and surgery were 5(4) mm and 5(3) mm in males, respectively. In females, these values were 5(3) mm and 6(5) mm, respectively. There was a significant decrease in male PT at the time of surgery compared to diagnosis (p<0.05). After the first postoperative year, PTs were 8(4) mm and 9(4) mm in males and females, respectively, and after the third postoperative year, PTs were 9(4) mm and 10(4.75) mm in males and females, respectively. Among patients diagnosed with UPJO during the first three months of life, males had a more severe disease course than females. Additionally, females experienced better clinical improvement during the long-term postoperative period.