OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical features, renal damage and prognosis of primary vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) in children, hoping to give more attention to early recognition and treatment of the disease.

METHODSBetween June 1995 and December 2006, 974 patient were admitted in our hospital because of urinary tract infection (UTI), 139 primary VUR children were enrolled in the retrospective study. VUR grades, renal scar development, renal ultrasound and urinalysis were evaluated.

RESULTSThe incidence of VUR in UTI children was 14.3% (139/974), however, the incidence in infants and toddlers (younger than two years of age) was 17.2% (79/458), which was greatly higher than that in school children. Of the 139 children, 79(56.8%) were younger than two years and the number of boys was much larger than that of girls (P = 0.001). Bilateral reflux was found in 69 cases, unilateral in 70 cases; the percentages of mild reflux (grade I-II) was 19.7% (41/208), moderate reflux (grade III) was 35.6% (74/208), severe reflux (grade IV-V) was 44.7% (93/208). Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scanning was performed for 135 patients, and renal scar was found in 37% (50/135), and the rate of scar in infants was the highest (42.4%), and 30 (60%) patients with renal scar were younger than two years of age. Among them five patients were found to have renal scar during the follow up period, four of them were younger than two years. The rate of renal scar in moderate and severe reflux was much higher than that in mild reflux cases, the risk of occurring renal scar would increase with its severity of reflux (P < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of renal ultrasound in suggesting VUR were 24.8% and 94.3%, respectively. The positive outcome of urinary N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase was a bit high, but there were no associations between renal scar and urinary microprotein (P > 0.05). Thirty-one cases were followed up for long time (> 1 year); and 90% of urinary infection was controlled and in 44.4% of patients VUR disappeared with medical treatment. No child had decreasing renal function in follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONChildren with primary VUR need early diagnosis and treatment. Insisting on normal therapy and long-term follow-up will protect renal function effectively.