Prune belly syndrome

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Prune belly syndrome is a group of birth defects that involve three main problems:

• Poor development of the abdominal muscles, causing the skin of the belly area to wrinkle like a prune
• Undescended testicles (cryptorchidism)
• Urinary tract problems

Eagle-Barrett syndrome; Triad syndrome; Urethral obstruction malformation sequence

The causes of prune belly syndrome are unknown. The condition affects mostly boys.

While in the womb, the developing baby's abdomen swells with fluid. That fluid disappears after birth, leading to a wrinkled abdomen that looks like a prune. The appearance is more noticeable due to the lack of abdominal muscles.

Review Date: 10/14/2009
Reviewed By: Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Departments of Anatomy and Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Review Provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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