ABSTRACT
Background: Acute pyelonephritis in children can leave a kidney scar that eventually can lead to hypertension or renal failure. 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scintigraphy (RC DMSA) is a widely accepted technique to assess children with acute pyelonephritis. Aim: To evaluate the presence of residual kidney scars detected through RC DMSA, in children with a first episode of acute pyelonephritis. Patients and methods: Clinical records of children with a first episode of acute pyelonephritis that were assessed within seven days of the episode with RC DMSA were reviewed. Children were considered eligible if they did not have a new episode of acute pyelonephritis and a second RC DMSA, one year after the first episode, was performed. The presence or absence of a renal scar after one year was associated to demographic, scintigraphy and laboratory variables. Results: Fifty nine children, aged 1 month to 10 years, 35 females, were studied. Thirty nine percent had a renal scar in the scintigraphy perfomed after one year of follow up. The presence of a scar was correlated with a C reactive protein over 130 mg/dl and an altered relative renal function (below 44%), during the acute phase. Conclusions: A high C reactive protein and alterations of relative renal function during the acute phase of acute pyelonephritis in children, may be risk factors for the development of renal scars in the long term follow up.
Subject(s)
Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Cicatrix , Kidney , Pyelonephritis , Radiopharmaceuticals , Acute Disease , Biomarkers/analysis , Blood Sedimentation , C-Reactive Protein/analysis , Cicatrix/etiology , Follow-Up Studies , Kidney/pathology , Leukocyte Count , Pyelonephritis/complications , ROC Curve , Risk Factors , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
Background: Tc99m DMSA (dimercaptosuccinic acid) scintigraphy has a high sensitivity for the detection of cortical kidney damage. Aim: To evaluate the Tc99m DMSA renal scintigraphy in children with a first episode of acute pyelonephritis and its association with laboratory parameters, kidney ultrasound and vesicoureteral reflux. Patients and methods: We studied 143 children (age range 8 days, 12 years, 66 percent female) hospitalized with the clinical diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis (first episode) with a positive urine culture and a renal scintigraphy performed within seven days of diagnosis. DMSA was considered the gold standard for the detection of cortical lesions. Its results were related to the presence of fever, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (VHS), white blood count (WBC), ultrasound examination and vesicoureteral reflux. Results: Seventy nine percent of the population had an abnormal DMSA scan. There were no differences between sex, age and laboratory parameters in children with normal or abnormal DMSA scans, except for CRP (p <0.005). Ultrasound was coincident with the scan in 32 percent of patients. Eighteen percent had vesicoureteral reflux. Conclusions: There is a high proportion of abnormal DMSA scans in children with a first episode of acute pyelonephritis (Rev Méd Chile 2004; 132: 58-64).