Prevalence and characteristics of the vesicoureteral reflux in infants who suffered neonatal urinary tract infection

The risk of developing renal scars is higher in the first years of life, mostly when the patient has vesicoureteral reflux, for that reason is necessary to identify this reflux as early as possible. Our aim was to determine the prevalence and characteristic of presentation of vesicoureteral reflux in infants who suffered neonatal urinary tract infection. Observational, prospective study, from 1992 to 2007, of a newborn cohort that suffered the first urinary tract infection acquired in the community with upper localization for clinical criteria, who had been carried out renal ultrasound and mictional urethrocystography. We analyzed the clinical and imaging characteristics of the vesicoureteral reflux presentation. In 358 patients the median of follow up was 19 months (range 1-104). The prevalence rate of vesicoureteral reflux was 20.9% (IC 95%: 16.4-26.2), prevailing the primary vesicoureteral reflux, with a rate of 18.1% patients. The vesicoureteral reflux was unilateral in 40 patients, with higher affectation of the left kidney, and bilateral in 35 cases. The degrees III or higher of vesicoureteral reflux (65.0%), overcame the low degree I or II in the patients with unilateral vesicoureteral reflux (35.0%). There was not significant difference by gender. The presentation of an urinary tract infection in the neonatal period was associated with vesicoureteral reflux in 20.9% of the cases, most frequently caused by primary vesicoureteral reflux and the dilatant degrees. There was not significant difference by gender.