A Successful Single-Stage Reconstruction of an Isolated Female Epispadias in a 14-Year-Old Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review

Naomi Herbert Mtafu,1 Alexandre Amini Mitamo,1,2 Gabriel Francis Mtaturu,3 Joachim Kulwa Mhaya,1 John Mugisha Kashaija,1 Ibrahim Ndola,1 Obadia Nyongole,1 Charles Mkony1 1Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania; 2Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Université Catholique du Graben, Butembo, Democratic Republic of the Congo; 3Department of Urology, Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar Es Salaam, TanzaniaCorrespondence: Alexandre Amini Mitamo, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Université Catholique du Graben, P.O. Box 29, Butembo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tel +243995568170, Email [email protected]: Epispadias is a rare congenital disorder characterized by an abnormal dorsal opening of the urethra due to the failure of the urethral plate to tubularize. It is usually part of broader conditions like bladder or cloacal exstrophy and rarely occurs in isolation. We present the case of a 14-year-old girl with isolated epispadias who had lifelong urinary incontinence without urgency. Genital examination revealed a bifid clitoris, underdeveloped labia minora, and a widely open urethral meatus with continuous leakage of urine. Urethrocystoscopy showed a short, patulous urethra, a poorly coapting external sphincter, and an open bladder neck. She underwent a successful single-stage surgical repair consisting of urethroplasty, bladder neck reconstruction, and perineoplasty. Two weeks after surgery, following catheter removal, the patient achieved urinary continence. This case supports the effectiveness of single-stage reconstruction even in delayed presentations of isolated female epispadias.Keywords: isolated female epispadias, single-stage reconstruction, urinary continence