Vesicoureteral reflux in end stage renal disease

Of 85 adults with end stage renal disease examined consecutively for renal transplantation 25 (29.4 per cent) had vesicoureteral reflux. Of these 25 patients 11 had a nephropathy as the cause of renal failure that was unrelated to reflux (for example glomerulonephritis) and 12 had, in addition to vesicoureteral reflux, a history of urinary tract infections and chronic pyelonephritis, which seems to be significant in the etiology of terminal renal failure in our patients (14 per cent). Only 2 of the 25 patients had severe, sterile reflux: 1 had bilateral megaureter with reflux into 1 side after ureteroneocystostomy and 1 had bilateral grade IV sterile reflux complicated by megacystitis. We had no case of uncomplicated, sterile reflux, which, in our experience, seems to be a rare cause of renal failure.