NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Urethral meatal stenoses can be dilated at home by the boys or their parents, possibly reducing the need for hospitalization and a dilatation procedure under general anesthesia, according to a report by British researchers.

The findings are based on a study of 18 boys, between 3 and 15 years of age, with meatal stenosis due to balanitis xerotica obliterans or as complication of hypospadias surgery or circumcision. An outreach nurse taught the boys or their parents how to perform meatal dilatation at home using a progressive catheter technique.

Nine of the children were cured of their micturition difficulties with the first course of dilatation, J. M. Searles and A. E. MacKinnon, from Sheffield Children's Hospital, report.

Four patients experienced an early relapse but responded to further treatment, while three patients never responded and underwent meatoplasty. Two children had late relapses, including one who responded to further dilatation and one who required surgery.

"This series shows that effective dilatation of the urethral meatus with no general anesthesia is possible in children in a home environment," the authors note. "The program can only be successfully established at home by an outreach urology nursing service, reflecting adult practice," they add.

BJU Int 2004;93:596-597

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