Voiding cystourethrography: the initial radiologic study in children with urinary tract infection.

Abstract

The order in which children with urinary tract infection should undergo voiding cystourethrography (VCUG), excretory urography (EU), and/or renal ultrasonography (US) is not standardized. To determine a logical sequence of study, a VCUG and then either US or EU were performed on 389 consecutive children with urinary tract infections. Thirty-seven percent (133/358) of the children had reflux; of these 22.5% (30/133) had an abnormal excretory urogram. No correlation was found between either the age of the child and the degree of reflux or the age of the child and the percentage of children with abnormal excretory urograms. Since normal EU or US results do not exclude significant reflux, VCUG is recommended as the preferred initial screening examination in children with urinary tract infection.