DMSA renal scanning versus urography for detecting renal scars in vesicoureteral reflux

32 children admitted to Hacettepe University Hospital for surgical treatment of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) between 1987 and 1988 were included in this prospective double-blind study. All patients underwent intravenous urography (IVU), voiding cystouretrography and 99mTc DMSA renal scanning. The sensitivity and specificity of the DMSA scan and IVU for detecting renal scarring were investigated. With regard to the presence of renal scarring, the sensitivity and specificity of IVU and DMSA were not found to be statistically different. But when the scars were scored, DMSA was found to have a higher scoring index compared to IVU. In patients who were candidates for surgical management of VUR, renal scars could be detected both by IVU and DMSA scan but, for the follow-up, the DMSA scan was found to be the investigation of choice.