Sun, 09/12/2010 - 06:28 | by admin


Epidemiology

VUR affects approximately 1% of all children and is one of the most common conditions to occur during childhood.1

It usually presents during the first few years of life. The condition can spontaneously resolve over time, resulting in a reduced incidence of VUR with increasing age.2

VUR is more likely to occur in the siblings of patients already diagnosed with the condition than in the general population,3 with a reported incidence of up to 50%.4

It may, therefore, be beneficial to consider screening siblings of children with VUR and treat any identified cases. This could avoid future potential consequences of the condition in patients that would otherwise remain undiagnosed until after they have experienced UTIs. As with diagnosed VUR, the probability of reflux being present in a sibling decreases with increasing age.5

 

  1. Jacobson SH, Hansson S, Jakobsson B. Vesico-ureteric reflux:occurrence and long-term risks. Acta Paediatr Suppl 1999; 88 : 22-30.
  2. American Academy of Pediatrics. Practice parameter: the diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of the initial urinary tract infection in febrile infants and young children. American Academy of Pediatrics. Committee on Quality Improvement. Subcommittee on Urinary Tract Infection. Pediatrics 1999; 103: 843-52.
  3. Chertin B, Puri P. Familial vesicoureteral reflux. J Urol 2003; 169: 1804-8.
  4. Ataei N, Madani A, Esfahani ST, et al. Screening for vesicoureteral reflux and renal scars in siblings of children with known reflux. Pediatr Nephrol 2004; 19: 1127-31.
  5. Hollowell JG, Greenfield SP. Screening siblings for vesicoureteral reflux. J Urol 2002; 168: 2138-41.