Incidence of primary vesicoureteral reflux in patients with febrile convulsions

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in patients with febrile convulsion (FC). For this, patients that were diagnosed with FC in 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Those with epilepsy, motor/mental retardation, or spina bifida were excluded. Mid-stream urine samples were collected in children who were toilet trained while sterile bags were used in the smaller. Urinary tract infection (UTI) was defined as > 5 leucocytes/HPF in urinalysis and a subsequent positive urine culture (>= 10.000 CFU/ml). Children with UTI were further investigated via voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) and dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy for VUR. Urinalysis was present in 79 among a total of 181 patients (43.6%). Forty-five of the patients were male (57%). Mean age was 2.6 +/- 1.4 years. UTI was diagnosed in 6 (7.6%) patients (5 females, 1 male). Three of the girls had recurrent febrile UTI and subsequently, VUR was diagnosed in two of them. VUR is found in 2.5% of the FC cases with urine sampling. Urinalysis should not be ignored in patients with FC as it may lead to diagnosis of VUR.