Cicatriz renal: factores de riesgo relacionados con infección urinaria

urinary infection is one of the most common bacterial infections in childhood after respiratory infections. in some cases, it can cause renal scars that may lead to future complications like blood hypertension and chronic renal disease. the diagnostic imaging methods for children are aimed at identifying those patients at risk of developing renal scars or a permanent renal damage, and preventing the progression of pre-existing renal damage. clinical data from 100 children diagnosed with urinary infection, who had been performed a renal dmsa scintigraphy, were retrospectively studied. the presence of renal scar was correlated to age, sex, number of urinary infection episodes and vesicourethral reflux. it was proved that every child with urinary infection regardless of sex is at risk of developing renal scar and that this risk increases with age and when vesicourethral reflux and recurrent infections are present. this is the reason why we recommend studying every child with urinary infection using ultrasond, cystography and dmsa 99tc scintigraphy, in order to early detect those children at risk of renal scar or permanent renal damage.