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What is the normal prevalence of vesicoureteral reflux?

M A Sargent1

  • 1Department of Radiology, Children's and Women's Health Centre of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. msargent@cw.bc.ca

Pediatric Radiology
|September 29, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is common in children, with higher prevalence in those with urinary tract infections. Current estimates suggest VUR is more prevalent in normal children than previously thought.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric nephrology
  • Urology
  • Diagnostic imaging

Background:

  • Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is a condition where urine flows backward from the bladder to the kidneys.
  • Previous estimates of VUR prevalence in healthy children range from 0.4% to 1.8%.
  • Screening suggests most children with VUR do not develop infections, challenging existing prevalence data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in pediatric populations.
  • To analyze VUR prevalence across different clinical indications for cystogram.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature review of over 250 articles.
  • Inclusion criteria applied to studies reporting VUR prevalence in children undergoing cystography.
  • Statistical analysis to derive means and 95% confidence intervals for VUR prevalence.

Main Results:

  • Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) prevalence in children with urinary tract infections was 31.1%.
  • VUR prevalence in children with normal kidneys was 17.2%.
  • Prevalence varied significantly across patient groups, often nearing or exceeding UTI group rates.

Conclusions:

  • Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is a common condition across various pediatric patient groups.
  • The actual prevalence of VUR in healthy children is likely substantially higher than traditional estimates.
Abstract

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