Prune belly syndrome

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Abdominal muscles

Prune belly syndrome is a group of birth abnormalities marked by three major findings:

• Lack of development of abdominal muscles, causing the skin of the abdomen to wrinkle like a prune
• Undescended testicle
• Urinary tract problems

Eagle-Barrett syndrome

The underlying causes of prune belly syndrome are unknown. Boys make up 96 - 97% of cases. Expectant mothers carrying affected infants may develop varying degrees of oligohydramnios (not enough amniotic fluid) that make the infant likely to have lung problems. (See also Potter syndrome.)

The newborn infant has a wrinkled abdomen that looks like a prune. This is because the abdomen swelled with fluid in the womb, then lost that fluid after birth, leading to puckering of excess skin. The appearance is more noticeable because the lack of enough abdominal muscles. Many infants are either stillborn or die within the first few weeks of life from severe lung or kidney problems, or a combination of birth problems.

Review Date: 11/21/2005
Reviewed By: Christos Ballas, M.D., Attending Psychiatrist, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.