Congenital urinary abnormalities and neural tube defects.

The records of 178 children with a neural tube defect were reviewed to determine the pattern of associated congenital urinary malformation. Ten (6%) of the children had a significant congenital urinary malformation. Although unilateral renal agenesis was the most common single congenital urinary abnormality, as a group, abnormalities in fusion or migration were equally common in this study and more common in several previously reported studies. Lower congenital urinary tract abnormalities were also identified but were less common. No correlation was found between the level of the neural tube defect and the specific congenital urinary abnormality.