title: The natural history of vesicoureteral reflux.
abstract: Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is the greatest and most recent challenge in pediatric nephrology, with explosive and relentless growth of knowledge. Many diagnostic and therapeutic indications must be revised with regards to up-to-date discoveries on the origin and evolution of congenital anomalies of kidneys and urinary tracts (CAKUT), because prompt diagnosis and aggressive intervention often seem to have only marginal influence on remote prognosis. Diagnostic strategies must tend to minimize the number of useless studies, preferring the ones that are less invasive and which expose to the smallest radiologic risk, reminding that the target is prevention of parenchymal damage, and not detecting VUR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Ospedale del Ceppo, Pistoia, Italy. rinoagostiniani@alice.it
authors.forename: Rino
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Agostiniani
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mariotti
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009359:Neonatology / Q000266:history / Q000639:trends*; D011379:Prognosis; D012306:Risk; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000503:physiopathology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D014718:Vesico-Ureteral Reflux / Q000151:congenital / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*