7.3 Diagnosis

All patients awaiting clarification of a reflux should undergo a basic diagnostic work up, comprising laboratory tests (kidney function), urine status and urine cultures, together with a detailed medical history and physical examination. Direct evidence of a reflux or its exclusion, obtained by VCUG or sonography supplements the initial diagnosis. An optional IVU is performed before surgery and in any case with an inconclusive sonography. During the examination, a catheter should be in place.

Without exposure to radiation, sonography can provide detailed information on the size of the kidney,

any possible duplicate formations, the shape and size of the collecting system, and also permits assessment of the renal parenchyma. Detection of reflux itself is only possible by using special contrast media and in case of gross reflux.

If VCUG or sonography is negative, but clinical evidence of a suspected reflux persists, the examination should be repeated after an interval; the grade of the reflux is not constant under different conditions of examination.

If residual urine is apparent after micturition, without presence of an infravesical obstruction, a urodynamic examination should be performed in order to exclude bladder/sphincter dysfunction and thus secondary reflux.

Evidence of or exclusion of a reflux can also be provided by nuclear medicinal methods. Due to the much lower exposure to radiation, a radionuclide cystography to verify or to exclude reflux can also be used, especially for follow-up examinations.

Endoscopic examination is helpful in case of planned operative treatment and can provide evidence of a pathological configuration of the ureteral orifices and position, as well as the exclusion of infravesical obstruction. The examination is carried out under anaesthesia and preparation made for subsequent reflux correction. For any reflux therapy to be performed endoscopically, the configuration of the ureteral orifices is of greater importance than the reflux grading; in case of a golf-hole orifice, the prospects of success are markedly lower.

Table 9: Algorithm for the stepwise diagnosis of a primary reflux

surgical treatment

Decision making on treatment strategy

medical treatment

IVU = intravenous urogram; DMSA = di-mercaptosuccinic acid; VCUG = voiding cystourethrography.