Introduction:

Neonatal urological emergencies are rare compared to other neonatal surgical emergencies. The purpose of our study is to determine the epidemiological characteristics of neonatal surgical emergencies in Constantine.

Patients & mhods:

It is a descriptive study, a combination of a 5-year retrospective study and a 1-year prospective study at Constantine's paediatric surgery department.

Results:

29 patients were hospitalized for a neonatal urological emergency, representing 4.88% of all neonatal surgical emergencies (N = 594). 89.7% were boys and 10.3% girls (N = 29). Consanguinity is found among parents in 13.8% of cases (N = 29). The antenatal diagnosis is made in 17.2% of cases (N = 28). Mean gestational age was 37.87 +/- 1.58 [34.2-41] GW (N = 23), and vaginal delivery was done in 56.5% of cases (N = 23). The mean Apgar score is 6.36 +/- 2.64 [1-9] (N = 14). The birth weight was 3464 +/- 777.75 [1600-4700] g (N = 25).

27.6% of patients were born in July, 13.8% in March and June (N = 29), and 24.1% were hospitalized on Wednesdays (N = 29).

44.8% of the patients had spermatic cord torsion (N = 29) and 61.5% of them were on the left side (N = 13). 13.8% were cloacal exstrophies, 10.3% posterior urethral valves, 10.3% Belly Prune syndrome and 10.3% scrotal hematoma (N = 29). 65.5% of the patients were operated (N = 29). The mortality rate is 20.7% (N = 29).

Conclusion:

Urologic emergencies are rare because of delayed diagnosis and low rates of antenatal diagnosis. The testicular pathologies are the majority which explains the great frequency of the male sex.