Laparoscopic approach for intermittent hydronephrosis caused by primary ureteral fibroepithelial polyps in children

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the diagnosis and treatment experience of children with intermittent hydronephrosis caused by ureteral fibroepithelial polyp (UFP). METHODS: From 2017 to 2020, cases of hydronephrosis caused by ureteral polyp in Anhui Provincial Children’s Hospital were retrospectively enrolled for investigation. Demographic data, clinical manifestations, operation details, pathology and outcomes were collected from patients’ medical data for analysis. RESULTS: All seven cases of UFP were boys, including six cases on the left side of the ureter and one case on the right side, at the median age of 7.1 years (3–14 years), with abdominal intermittent pain as the first symptom. All cases underwent laparoscopic pyeloureteroplasty. All the operations were completed successfully; postoperative pathology indicated the presence of primary UFP. Postoperative follow-ups of 1–30 months showed satisfactory recovery and relief from hydronephrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic pyeloureteroplasty or ureteroureterostomy is one of the optimal treatments for ureteral polyp at present. The surgical method should be determined according to the number of polyps, the length and the diameter of the affected ureter, and also the status of renal function of the patients.