Does endoscopic puncture of ureterocele provide not only an initial solution, but also a definitive treatment in all children? Over the 26 years of experience.

PURPOSE: We have retrospectively evaluated all patients who underwent endoscopic puncture (EP) of ureterocele over the last 26 years with special reference to the need in the second intervention and disease-free status.

METHODS: 78 (69%) of the 112 patients following EP and completed follow-up were included. 51 (65%) were diagnosed prenatally and 27 (35%) postnatally. 46 patients (60%) had intravesical, while 32 (40%) had ectopic ureterocele. Median age at time of puncture was 4 months. Median time of the follow-up was 12 years (range 1-26 years), while 23 (30%) followed over 10 years and 15 (19%) completed adolescent period.

RESULTS: Four children with ectopic ureterocele required secondary puncture. Ectopic ureterocele children had significantly more postoperative UTIs (13 (40%) ectopic vs 4 (19%) intravesical p = 0.047). 19 RRUs (44%) showed spontaneous resolution of VUR. 14 (18%) children required additional surgery: 7, endoscopic correction of VUR; 3, ureteral reimplantation and 4, partial nephrectomy. The need for additional surgery following puncture was higher in the group of children with ectopic ureterocele; however, this difference did not reach a statistical significance (p = 0.716).

CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that EP of ureterocele is a durable and long-term effective procedure in vast majority of the children.