Think before you pop: Outcomes of non-operative management of ureteroceles.

Abstract

Introduction/background: Ureteroceles are often diagnosed antenatally and incidentally and treated in a minimally invasive fashion with endoscopic puncture. Recent literature suggests that observation, or non-operative management, is an effective and viable management option in select patients with ureteroceles and certain radiologic findings, however there is no consensus on how to best select patients for non-operative management.

Objective: To 1) determine if pediatric ureteroceles managed non-operatively require less or sooner secondary surgical intervention than those managed with up-front incision, 2) describe characteristics of success and failure in pediatric ureteroceles managed non-operatively, and 3) identify risk factors associated with receiving intervention and time to intervention.

Results: Of 287 ureteroceles, 65 (23%) were managed non-operatively and underwent secondary surgical intervention less frequently (9% vs. 34%, P < 0.01) and later (median age 40 vs. 20 months) than those managed with puncture. Successful non-operative management was associated with fewer comorbidities, smaller ureterocele size, absence of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and high-grade VUR, single collecting system, lesser degree of hydronephrosis, ipsilateral MCDK and intravesical location. For all ureteroceles, high-grade VUR, duplex system, and female sex were associated with shorter time to secondary intervention (intervention after initial management).

Discussion: In the largest retrospective review of ureterocele management, smaller ureterocele size, absence of high-grade VUR, single system, ipsilateral MCDK and minimal hydronephrosis were factors that increased the efficacy of non-operative management of select pediatric ureteroceles. Furthermore, time to event analysis showed that non-operative management did not predispose patients to sooner secondary intervention (Figure). Lack of a standardized protocol for ureterocele management is a limitation of this single institution retrospective study as it introduces selection bias to the results, however few patients with low risk characteristics underwent puncture and no high risk patients were observed.

Conclusion: Smaller ureterocele size, absence of high-grade VUR, single system, ipsilateral MCDK and minimal hydronephrosis are factors that may increase the efficacy of non-operative management of select pediatric ureteroceles, which may delay or avoid secondary surgical intervention.