We suggest that vesicoureteral reflux is more common in children even without urinary-tract infection than has been thought previously. The guidelines recommending a search for reflux by means of voiding cystourethrography should be reconsidered.

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and clinically significant ultrasonography (US) abnormalities in a large group of children with proven and suspected urinary tract infection (UTI). The medical reports on renal US and voiding cystouretrographies (VCUG) of 2,036 children were reviewed. Renal US was performed on all children and VCUG on 1,185 children (58%). Based on the urine culture data, the UTI diagnoses were classified into five reliability classes (proven, likely, unlikely, false and no microbial data). The UTI diagnose was considered proven in 583/2036 (28.6%) and false in 145 (7.1%) cases. The prevalence of VUR was similar among those with proven and false UTI [37.4 vs. 34.8%; relative risk (RR) 1.08, 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) 0.7-1.7, P = 0.75] and decreased with increasing age (P = 0.001). Clinically significant US abnormalities occurred in 87/583 (14.9%) cases with proven UTI and significantly less often (11/145, 7.6%) in the false UTI class (RR 1.96, 95% CI 1.1-3.6, P = 0.02). Our finding supports the claim that VUR is not significantly associated to UTI and that its occurrence among children even without UTI is significantly higher than traditional estimates. This challenges the recommendations of routine VCUG after UTI.

We suggest that children with UTI could be examined using US alone and to use VCUG only after additional indications.

To evaluate the long-term outcome of children with urinary tract infection (UTI). Design: Follow-up examination 6 to 17 years after childhood UTI. Setting: Secondary to tertiary referral center. Patients: From an original population-based cohort of 1185 children with a history of UTI on whom both ultrasonography (US) and voiding cystourethrography had been performed between January 1, 1993, and December 31, 2003, we excluded 24 cases with major renal dysplasia or obstruction of the urinary tract to form a study cohort of 1161 patients. We took a stratified random sample of 228 patients for follow-up, and a total of 193 (85%) participated. Of the 193 participating patients, 103 (53%) had received antibiotic prophylaxis and 42 (22%) had undergone surgery. Main Exposure: Urinary tract infection. Main Outcome Measures: Renal growth and parenchymal damage in US examination, kidney function, and blood pressure. Results: Unilateral renal parenchymal defect was found in 22 of the 150 patients (15%) studied with US at followup, and unilateral kidney growth retardation was found in 5 patients (3%). All but 1 of the renal parenchymal defects seen on US were in patients with grade III to V vesicoureteral reflux. Despite the parenchymal defects seen on US, the serum cystatin C concentration, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and blood pressure were within the normal ranges in all patients. Conclusions: The risk of long-term consequences from childhood UTI seems to be very low. Owing to the observational nature of our study, we cannot exclude the effects of the given treatment on the outcome of our patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Long-term outcomes of urinary tract infection (UTI) in childhood are not well known. Pregnancy may reveal latent renal damage caused by a UTI because of stress on the kidneys. METHODS: Our cohort included adult women with an ultrasonography taken because of a childhood UTI in 1981UTI in -1991UTI in (N = 1175. Nine women with a severe congenital kidney malformation or urinary tract obstruction were excluded. Altogether, 260 mothers with a childhood UTI and 500 population-based control mothers without a childhood UTI matched for age, and delivery dates were compared. Our primary end point was the proportion of women with essential or gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, proteinuria, or pyelonephritis during the first pregnancy.Dr Tapiainen conceptualized and designed the study, designed and supervised the data collection and analysis, and coauthored the manuscript; and all the authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.