SCINTIGRAPHIC SCREENING IN THE DETECTION OF RENAL SCARRING IN SIBLINGS OF CHILDREN WITH PRIMARY REFLUX

The correlation of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), urinary tract infection (UTI) and renal scarring is well known. Several risk factors for renal parenchymal lesions have been reported previously. We determine the incidence of renal parenchymal damage and outcome in the siblings of children with primary VUR. A total of 96 siblings of patients with VUR, were evaluated with direct voiding cystography, 99m-technetium (Tc)-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scintigraphy and renal ultrasonography (US). Of 96 siblings, 34 were found to have VUR, representing an incidence of 35.4%. The majority of siblings with abnormal DMSA scans were asymptomatic. Parenchymal abnormalities were determined by DMSA in 23 (69.6%) of the 33 siblings studied (37 of 46 refluxing renal units or 80.4% P