Ultrasound screening of kidney size in children with and without vesicoureteral reflux

Evaluation of the size of the kidney's parameters of patients with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) can provide relevant knowledge about the prognosis factors of VUR's complications. The study aimed to assess the size of the renal parameters of children with VUR and compare the results with healthy matched cases by the ultrasound method. Methods: In this case-control study, children under 14 years of age with VUR in our pediatric urology practice from May 2019 to May 2020 were included. Eighty children were included in the two groups (case (40 cases) and control group (40 cases)) in the study. The case group included children with VUR, while the control group included healthy children. The data regarding Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), the length and width of the kidney, the size of the pelvis, parenchyma thickness, and volume of the kidney were recorded. Results: The mean age of children was 3.07 +/- 3.05 years, and 35.0% of them were male. The mean number of UTIs in the VUR group was 1.90 +/- 1.15 and in the control group was 1.10 +/- 0.30 (P=0.031). The incidence of UTIs was significantly higher in the VUR group than in the control group (P<0.001). Length, width, the posterior-anterior diameter of kidney, renal parenchyma thickness, and renal volume in the VUR group were significantly lower than the control group (P< 0.001). There was no difference between case and control groups in terms of anterior-posterior diameter of the pelvis (P= 0.653). Conclusions: The results showed that the size of kidneys parameters in children with VUR was less than in the control group. Also, the incidence of UTIs in the VUR group was significantly higher than in the control group. Ultrasound is a safe and non-invasive tool that can use for checking the size of the children's kidneys with VUR for predict of possible complications.