[Assessment of renal resistance index in children with vesico-ureteral reflux].

AIM

To assess the value of the renal resistive index (RI) in evaluating renal perfusion in children with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR).

METHOD

We investigated 92 kidneys in 46 children with VUR with a mean age of 6 +/- 4 years. The RI was measured at the level of the interlobar-/arcuate-arteries using a color Doppler unit Acuson 128 XP/10 (Mountain View, Cal.). The results of the RI-measurement were correlated to the findings in renal scintigraphy.

RESULTS

Children with VUR grade I-III showed RI-values less than the normal physiological upper limit of 0.7. Patients with VUR grade IV-V demonstrated a significant increased RI-value of 0.77 +/- 0.07 (p < 0.0001). The correlation of the RI-measurements with the scintigraphic findings revealed a correlation-coefficient of r2 = 0.61.

CONCLUSION

Changes of renal perfusion were only found in high-grade VUR, demonstrating a good correlation with the scintigraphic findings. Therefore color Doppler ultrasound seems to be helpful in the follow-up of patients with high-grade reflux.