title: Outcome of vesicoureteral reflux in infants: impact of prenatal diagnosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is an important disorder that could be diagnosed in antenatal or postnatal period. The natural history of VUR seems to be different between prenatal or postnatal forms of the disease. We compared the natural history and outcome of vesicoureteral reflux in infants less than one year old diagnosed prenatally or postnatally.
  
  
  METHODS
  All infants less than 12 months old with VUR were enrolled in two groups. Group 1 composed of patients with antenatal hydronephrosis and group2, infants with diagnosis of VUR because of UTI or other postnatal problems. We followed patients for an average of 33 months. Outcome was assessed by several factors: somatic growth, need for surgery, resolution, occurrence of UTI and scar formation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 236 renal units in 152 patients (70 boys, 82girls), 67 patients in group 1 and 85 patients in group2. Occurrence of recurrent UTI was 10.6% with no significant difference between two groups. Reflux resolved in postnatal group more significantly than in the other group (73% vs 49%). Scar developed similarly in both groups (15% vs 25% of renal units). Surgery performed in 7 (8.2%) of postnatal and 4 (6%) of prenatal group with no significant differences between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VUR diagnosed prenatally has similar importance and outcome as postnatal diagnosed one. We suggest performing the same imaging and treatment procedures for prenatally and postnatally diagnosed VUR.
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Cell Biology Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mohammadjafari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed-Abdollah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mousavi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmadshahab
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kosaryan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khademloo
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abedi
keywords: Hydronephrosis; Prenatal Diagnosis; Renal Scaring; Urinary Tract Infection; Vesicoureteral Reflux