To highlight genetic pattern of po
sterior urethral valve
s (PUV
s), we performed a genetic
study on 2
sibling
s affected. PUV
s are the mo
st common congenital cau
se of lower urinary tract ob
struction and an important cau
se of renal failure in infant
s (50% progre
ss to end-
stage renal di
sea
se in 10 year
s). PUV
s occur in 1 of 5000-8000 male infant
s, but real incidence i
s arduou
s to determine becau
se of the wide
spectrum of po
ssible clinical pre
sentation. A different recurrence rate i
s reported in African American
s and children with Down
syndrome, although u
sually PUV
s are not found in
syndromic condition
s but con
stitute an i
solated di
sorder. Although mo
st ca
se
s appear to be
sporadic,
some report
s in literature
sugge
st a partial genetic etiology.
sSec_2">Materials and Methods
sp0015">We report 2 brothers with PUVs. The children's mother was a healthy woman but had a history of urinary tract infections of unknown etiology. We investigated possible familial genetic anomalies using a DNA array comparative genomic hybridization technique.
sSec_3">Results
sp0020">We identified 2 partial duplications in the short arm of chromosome 11 recurring in both children and mother.
sSec_4">Conclusion
sp0025">This finding, not previously reported to our knowledge, adds new data to support the hypothesis of the presence of a hereditary component in the occurrences of PUVs.