Contrast-enhanced voiding urosonography in the diagnosis of intrarenal reflux.

PURPOSE: Although contrast-enhanced urosonography (ceVUS) has shown capable diagnostic accuracy for the diagnosis of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in children, the ability of ceVUS to detect intrarenal reflux (IRR) is considered limited. The purpose of our study is to assess the ability of ceVUS to detect IRR as well as its association with age, gender, and the grade of VUR. METHODS: This study included 5153 children who were referred to our clinic for ceVUS. All children underwent sonographic examinations, which were performed on a LOGIQ S8 machine equipped with dedicated software for contrast-enhanced studies with harmonic imaging. Standard ultrasound of the urinary tract was followed by bladder catheterisation and instillation of physiological normal saline and the US contrast medium (SonoVue®, Bracco). RESULTS: VUR was diagnosed by ceVUS in 1959 out of 5153 children (38%), of whom IRR was found in 233 of 1959 children (11.9%). A total of 285 ureteral units showing IRR were found. High grades of VUR (IV + V) with IRR were found in a total of 235 of 285 (82.81%) renal units. Bilateral IRR was found in 53 patients, usually with a high-grade VUR on both sides. Most children had VUR grade IV, predominantly those < 12 months. The younger the child, the higher the likelihood of higher-grade VUR (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: ceVUS, combined with harmonic imaging and second-generation ultrasound contrast media, enabled IRR detection in almost 12% of our patients with VUR. IRR is most commonly found in children under 1 year of age with VUR grades IV and V.

[CONTRAST ENHANCED VOIDING UROSONOGRAPHY (CEVUS) IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF VESICOURETERAL REFLUX]. / MIKCIJSKA UROSONOGRAFIJA POJACANA KONTRASTOM (CEVUS) U DIJAGNOSTICI VEZIKOURETERALNOG REFLUKSA.

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is one of the most common urinary tract anomalies in children and can be associated with reflux nephropathy (RN). Some patients with RN develop chronic kidney disease, hypertension and a small number of patients progress to end-stage renal disease. Early detection of children with these clinical characteristics should be the goal of clinical, biochemical, and radiological evaluation of patients presenting with prenatal hydronephrosis or febrile urinary tract infection. The goals of imaging procedure in general are to confirm the diagnosis suspected with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity, to aid treatment and allow prognosis. The diagnosis of vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) is a relatively straightforward and well-established procedure. There is increasing awareness of the risks of radiation exposure and invasivness of VUR investigation which can be unpleasant experience for both child and parents. Currently, contrast enhanced voiding urosonography (ceVUS) is a radiation free, highly sensitive imaging modality for vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and urethral imaging in children. It employs ultrasound technology (contrast-specific software) in combination with commercially available second generation ultrasound contrast administered intravesically via a bladder catheter.

Influence of passive smoking on functional abilities in children.

Passive smoking has been found to be associated with a large number of disorders of passive smokers. It seems that the children are the most susceptible population for harmful effects of passive smoke exposure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of passive smoking on children's functional abilities. The target population was 199 children who were 13-15 years old at the time of the study. For the assessment of motor skills 6-min run test was used. Children exposed to passive smoking by their mothers had statistically significant lower functional abilities (r =-0.7029; 95% CI -0.7707 to -0.6194; p < 0.0001). We also found statistically significant difference if the both parents are smokers (r =-0.3343; 95% CI -0.4595 to -0.1961; p < 0.0001). The results of our study did not show statistically significant difference if the children are exposed to cigarette smoke by their fathers (r = 0.03139; 95% CI -0.1171 to 0.1785; p = 0.6792). Public health preventive actions should go toward minimizing the exposure of children to passive smoking by counseling the smoking parents that quitting smoking provides enormous health benefits not only to them but also to their children.