Urodynamic patterns in infants with normal lower urinary tracts or primary vesico‐ureteric reflux

Objective To compare bladder function in infants with primary vesico‐ureteric reflux (VUR) and those with normal lower urinary tracts. Patients and methods The study comprised 42 patients (36 males) with VUR (grades III to V) and 21 (16 males) without VUR (mean age in both groups, 6 months). Intravesical catheters were placed suprapubically under general anaesthesia and, after at least 24 h, natural‐filling urodynamics were monitored for three or more filling and voiding cycles. Results Various urodynamics patterns were defined: for infants without VUR these were either normal or normal‐immature (discoordinated micturition) and none showed features indicating abnormal bladder function. By comparison, 24 of 42 infants with VUR showed abnormal urodynamic patterns (57%, 95% confidence interval 41% to 72%, P30% capacity were seen only in the VUR group (in 24 patients). There were 18 infants with VUR that showed the normal or immature urodynamics patterns, but for the 14 males the voiding pressures were higher than for those without VUR (mean maximum detrusor pressure, 161 and 117 cmH2O, respectively; P