Pediatric Urology Glossary
This glossary has been developed by the Pediatric Urology team at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. It provides you with some words you may hear during your child's evaluation and treatment.
- Ambiguous genitalia
- The external genital organs do not appear clearly male or female or have features of both sexes.
- Bacteruria
- Bacteria found in the urine without any symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI). See also Urinary Tract Infection.
- Bladder Exstrophy
- A malformation of the bladder in which the bladder is turned inside out and located on the outside of the body. In addition, there may be abnormalities of the abdominal skin and wall, pelvic bones and genitalia.
- Buried Penis
- A term used to describe a penis that is concealed or hidden below the surface of the pubic skin. A normal sized penis that is concealed may easily be exposed by gently pressing down on the fat pad that surrounds the penis or by gently pulling on the shaft of the penis.
- Cecostomy
- A surgically created tube leading from the start of the large bowel (cecum) to the outside abdominal wall. This tube allows an enema (irrigation) to be inserted into the bowel from above so that the whole bowel can be cleansed of stool.
- Chordee
- An abnormal curvature of the penis which is most apparent on erection.
- Circumcision
- A surgical procedure to remove the foreskin of the penis.
- Cloacal Anomaly
- A complicated birth defect in which the vagina, the rectum, and urinary tract merge to drain out of one common channel or opening on to the skin.
- Cloacal Exstrophy
- A severe birth defect / condition in which many of the lower abdominal organs, like the bladder and intestines, are visibly seen outside the body. Often the external genitalia of both males and females are affected requiring surgical repair.
- Cystitis
- An infection of the bladder often with signs of frequency, urgency and burning.
- Diurnal enuresis
- The lack of control of urine or the involuntary loss of urine during the waking hours (usually during the day time).
- Enuresis / Urinary Incontinence
- The lack of control of urine or the involuntary loss of urine at an age when voluntary control should be present. The age of voluntary control varies from child to child. See also definitions for Noctural Enuresis and Diurnal Enuresis.
- Epididymitis
- An inflammation of the epididymis (a tube attached to the testicle where sperm is stored).
- Epispadias
- A developmental defect of the urethra and genitals which is seen in newborns males. The defect is such that the opening of the penis / urethra is located at any point along the topside of the penis shaft exposing the urethra.
- Frequency of Urination
- A strong desire to urinate at short time intervals, for example every 15 minutes.
- Hydronephrosis
- The swelling or dilatation of one or both kidneys with a collection of urine that can not flow out of the kidney because of a blockage somewhere in the urinary tract.
- Hypospadias
- A developmental defect of the penis which is commonly seen in newborn males. The defect is such that the opening of the penis / urethra is not located in the normal position, namely at the tip of the penis. Instead, the opening of the penis / urethra can be found off centered on the head of the penis or on the underside of the penis as low as the scrotum.
- Inguinal hernia
- A portion of the bowel passes through an open inguinal channel towards the scrotum. In fetal development, the testicles descend from the abdomen to the scrotum through an opening in the inguinal channel. If this opening fails to close or the opening re-opens, part of the intestine can move into the scrotum resulting in an inguinal hernia. An infant or child with inconsolable crying or vomiting with a known hernia that does not go back into place, should seek immediate medical care.
- Intersex
- Acongenital condition which affects the formation of the external genitalia such that the appearance of the genitalia is not clearly male or female.
- Meatal Stenosis
- A narrowing of the opening of the urethra at the tip of the penis often affecting the flow of urine.
- Mitrofanoff
- A continent, catheterizable tube, leading from the bladder to the outside abdominal wall. A mitrofanoff is often surgically created with the appendix, but may also be constructed with a portion of small bowel or with a ureter.
- Neurogenic bladder
- A loss of bladder function caused by abnormal nerve impulses or nerve damage often resulting in (1) a child who is not able to sense that his / her bladder is filled with urine or (2) a child who is unable to completely empty his / her bladder.
- Neurogenic bowel
- A loss of bowel function caused by damage to the nerves that control the ability to eliminate stool from the body.
- Noctural enuresis
- The lack of control of urine or the involuntary loss of urine at night during sleep (bedwetting).
- Posterior Urethral Valve
- A congenital obstruction of the male urethra caused by an extra flap of tissue where urine empties from the bladder.
- Pyelonephritis
- An infection of the kidney(s), often with signs of flank pain, fever and vomiting.
- Torsion
- An urgent medical condition in which the testicle twists in the scrotal sac resulting in a lack of circulating blood to the testicle. This twisting can often cause severe pain and loss of the testicle if not treated within four hours upon the onset of pain. Main symptom of testicular torsion is sudden onset of pain in the scrotum.
- Undescended Testicle (Cryptorchidism)
- A condition in which one or both testes have not moved down into the scrotal sac.
- Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction (UPJ)
- A partial or total blockage of the flow of urine that occurs where the ureter enters the kidney. Some conditions which can cause such blockage include inflammation, polyp, tumor, stones.
- Urethral stricture
- A narrowing of the tube that drains urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.
- Urgency of Urination
- A strong desire to urinate.
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
- An infection that can occur in any part of the urinary system, i.e., bladder or kidneys relating to an infection. This is one of the more commonly seen conditions in urology.
- A UTI can exist with or without associated signs / symptoms. Often signs / symptoms of a UTI are frequency, urgency, burning with urination, abdominal pain, flank pain, fever. The only way to diagnosis a UTI is with a urine culture. A urine culture may take up to 48 hours for final results to be evident.
- See also definitions for Bacteremia, Cystitis and Pyelonephritis.
- Vesicoureteral Reflux (VUR)
- The backward flow of urine from the bladder up the ureter and sometimes into the kidney. Grades I& II are considered low-grade reflux, Grades III & IV are considered mid-range reflux and grade V is considered high grade reflux.
