Prevalence of Vesicoureteral Reflux and Urinary Tract Infection in Children with and without Urolithiasis

Abstract

Background: Vesicourethral reflux (VUR) is a common urinary tract disorder in children, which may be associated with urolithiasis. Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate vesicoureteral reflux in children with and without urolithiasis. Methods: In this case-control study, 130 children younger than 10 years, with a confirmed diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) are investigated. The demographic information and clinical status of all participants were recorded. Ultrasonography was performed for all children, and they were divided into two groups of 65 subjects based on the results: group 1, children with UTI+stone; and group 2, children with UTI+ non-stone. All children received Voiding Cystourethrogram to evaluate Vesicourethral reflux. Results: The mean age of participants was 7.48 ± 3.2 years, and 68 (52.7%) of them were male. Also, VUR was observed in 33 (25.38%) cases. The frequency of reflux in the UTI + stone group was 21 (32.3%), which was significantly higher than the other group (12 cases, or 18.46%) (P = 0.011). However, the association between UTI and stone (P = 0.3, CC = -0.01) was not significant. Conclusions: This study demonstrated a significant correlation between urinary tract stones and VUR in children with urinary tract infections. It is recommended to investigate the presence of stone or VUR in children suffering from any of the described disorders.