Permanent renal parenchymal defects after febrile UTI are closely associated with vesicoureteric reflux

The finding of scintigraphic renal defects in children with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) even in the absence of vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) has led to the conclusion that VUR is a weak predictor of renal defects in these patients. We used isotopic cystography (IC) for diagnosis of VUR in children with febrile UTI. Dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scintigraphy was performed 6 months after cure of the last UTI. Renal defects were defined by the finding of focal defects of radionuclide uptake and/or by a split renal function <43%. The study included 206 children with primary VUR and 77 without VUR. Among the subjects with and without VUR, respectively, renal defects were found in 40 and 6% (p=0.0001), focal uptake defects in 33 and 5% (p=0.0001) and split renal function <43% in 26 and 5% (p=0.0001). Permanent renal defects in children with febrile UTI are closely associated with VUR. The possibility that a child will have permanent renal defects can reasonably be ruled out on the basis of the absence of VUR by IC.