[Familial vesicoureteral reflux].

Between August 1979 and January 1983, 43 cases of primary vesicoureteral reflux were treated in our hospital. Among them 9 cases of 4 families occurred familially. They were all siblings: 3 boys and 6 girls aged between 2 years and 10 years. Five cases except for 4 probands of each sibling were discovered after aggressive prospective family study, but they had no clinical symptoms that suspected vesicoureteral reflux; one of them was found to be in a preuremic condition. The other 2 siblings were examined by a prospective family study but demonstrated no vesicoureteral reflux. Therefore, vesicoureteral reflux could be demonstrated in 5 of the 7 siblings who had been examined by a prospective family study. This rate was significantly high (71%). Discussion is made about the necessity of prospective family study to discover asymptomatic patients with vesicoureteral reflux in the family, and the literature is reviewed.