title: Color and power Doppler sonography versus DMSA scintigraphy in acute pyelonephritis and in prediction of renal scarring.
abstract: Capabilities of color and power Doppler sonography (DS) were prospectively evaluated for diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis and for prediction of scarring by comparison with 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy (DMSA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven children (mean age, 5 +/- 3 y) with acute pyelonephritis were investigated by biologic testing, DS (DS 1), and DMSA (DMSA 1). Patients who were <6 mo old or had high-grade reflux or obstruction were excluded. Forty-five children had a clinical follow-up examination, biologic testing, DS (DS 2), and DMSA (DMSA 2) at a mean of 7 +/- 2 mo after acute infection. Sonography (gray-scale and DS) was performed by 1 experienced radiologist who was unaware of patient data. DMSA studies were interpreted by 2 physicians who were unaware of patient data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Temperature, neutrophil count, and C-reactive protein value were significantly higher in patients with abnormal DMSA 1 findings than in those with abnormal DS 1 findings (P < 0.05). When compared with DMSA 1, DS 1 had a sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 81%, respectively. At follow-up, all clinical and biologic data had normalized. Scarring after infection occurred in 51% of children. When compared with DMSA 2, DS 1 had positive and negative predictive values of 57% and 75%, respectively, and DMSA 1 had respective values of 62% and 100%. Reflux was not considered a good predictor of scarring.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DS and DMSA results were concordant in 81% of kidneys with acute pyelonephritis. The predictive value of DS for renal scarring was not considered sufficiently high for DS to be used in routine practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Centre Henri Becquerel, Rouen, France.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hitzel
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liard
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Véra
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manrique
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Ménard
authors.forename: Jean-Nicolas
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Dacher
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019783:Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid; D013997:Time Factors; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color
chemical_list: D019783:Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid