Bladder exstrophy, or ectopia vesica, consists of the absence of the lower abdominal wall with the bladder exposed on the body surface. The public arch is open and the penis or clitoris is usually malformed. Other malformations are often present, such as the joining of the rectum and the bladder. Surgical treatment can only partly restored normal function, but permits survival; untreated cases may also survive.
Bladder exstrophy is a rare malformation affecting fewer than 1 birth in 10,000.