Beyond borders: prune belly syndrome unveiled in a nine-year-old Pakistani boy

Abstract

Prune belly syndrome (PBS) is characterised by a malformed urinary tract, undescended testes and abnormal abdominal wall musculature. No prior report of PBS is known to us from Pakistan. Most cases are diagnosed at birth, but we report the case of a nine-year-old boy who presented with the complaint of left flank pain for the past year. Upon physical examination, his abdomen was swollen with creased skin and lacked the rectus abdominis muscles. The scrotal skin had minimal wrinkling, and both the testes were undescended, along with the constriction in the external urethral meatus. This report aims to raise awareness of this syndrome for early detection and optimal treatment. It is recommended that family medicine and paediatric surgery professionals, capable of identifying and referring patients in the disease's early stages be increased, particularly in rural areas.

Keywords: Hydronephrosis, Megaureter, Prune-Belly Syndrome, Undescended testes.