ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine if there are prognostic factors leading to permanent parenchymal damages to kidney in children after acute pyelonephritis. METHODS: This study was conducted in 160 pediatric patients with acute pyelonephritis admitted to Ajou University Hospital from 2000 to 2005, whose renal cortical defects were confirmed by 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy (DMSA scan). Along with the follow-up DMSA scan after 6 months, they were classified into two groups; recovered group (106) and scarred group (54). The clinical characteristics of each group were compared. RESULTS: Among the total of 160 patients, 106 (66.3%) showed recovery of the initial defect (the recovered group), while 54 (33.8%) showed permanent defects on the follow-up DMSA scan (scarred group). Recovery rate was poor for patients of 1 year and older, or patients with the duration of fever and pyuria longer than 7 days. The recovery rate was poor in the patients with history of frequent febrile episodes and abnormal results of imaging studies, such as voiding cystourethrography (VCUG), ultrasonography. CONCLUSION: The recovery rate of children with renal defects on DMSA scan with acute pyelonephritis was lower when the patient is older than 1 year, when the duration of fever and pyuria exceeded 7 days, and when the patients had the histories of frequent febrile episodes and had urinary tract abnormalities on imaging studies. These findings suggest that there may be under- or mis-diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis by pediatrician.