VUR Review - What is VUR?

VUR describes a condition in which urine is able to flow back from the bladder through one or both ureters and up towards the kidneys.

This is due to an abnormality in the region where the ureter meets the bladder that allows the urine to flow in a backward or ‘retrograde’ direction. Normally a valve at the entrance to the bladder prevents such retrograde movement of the urine.

VUR is a serious condition because if the child suffers a urinary tract infection, infected urine can enter the ureters and, in severe cases, the kidneys, which can lead to tissue damage in these areas.^{1, 2}

The pathophysiology of vesicoureteral reflux

Urine (shown in blue) flows back from the bladder into the ureter(s). The severity of reflux is graded from I to V according to the extent of the reflux and the degree of structural abnormality.²