Bladder Exstrophy-Epispadias-Cloacal Exstrophy Complex: A Contemporary Overview

Abstract

Bladder exstrophy-epispadias complex (BEEC) is a spectrum of rare congenital malformations involving the urinary, genital, and musculoskeletal systems in which the bladder remains open through a lower abdominal defect with wide pubic separation. Treatment is primarily surgical and usually is performed in multiple stages. Goals of treatment include closing the bladder and abdominal defect while maintaining renal function, achieving urinary continence, maintaining sexual function, and providing cosmetically appealing external genitalia. Several long-term complications of this challenging condition in pediatric urology require a multidisciplinary treatment approach.