VUR is a common childhood congenital urinary anomaly

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), commonly referred to as urinary reflux, is the most common congenital urinary anomaly to occur during childhood. It is defined as the abnormal retrograde flow of urine from the bladder into the upper urinary tract through an incompetent ureterovesical junction.¹

The prevalence of reflux varies with several demographic factors of the patient population. Reflux may occur as an isolated entity or with other associated anomalies of the genitourinary tract.¹

What puts a child at risk for VUR?

Urinary reflux usually presents during the first few years of life.² Up to 1.8% of all children are affected by VUR.³

History of Urinary Tract Infection (UTIs)

• <1% in children without urologic symptoms or history of infection¹
• 20-50% in children with a history of symptomatic urinary tract infection¹
• About 40% of children with UTI under 24 months have VUR²

Sibling or child of a person with VUR

• Siblings of individuals diagnosed with VUR have about a 35% probability of developing VUR⁴
• The children of individuals diagnosed with VUR have up to a 50% chance of developing VUR^4,5

Age, gender, ethnicity
The prototypical patient with VUR is a Caucasian girl younger than 4 years of age with a history of UTIs^2,3

• Average VUR diagnosis occurs between 2-3 years old⁴
• 80% of children evaluated for a UTI and diagnosed with VUR are girls⁴
• Light skinned children are at greater risk for VUR, compared with black children and children of Mediterranean origin¹

Due to the epidemiology of UTIs in children, boys and girls may present with VUR at different ages.¹ UTIs are more common in uncircumcised boys than girls during the neonatal period, therefore many boys will be diagnosed with reflux in the neonatal period.¹ However, after the first year of life, the incidence of UTIs is much higher in girls than boys. Therefore, more school-aged children diagnosed with VUR are girls.¹

Associated anomalies¹

• Posterior urethral valves
• Duplicated collecting system
• Prune belly (Eagle-Barrett) syndrome
• Bladder exstrophy
• Severe micturating dysfunction
• Neurogenic bladder
• Ureterocele

For distended kidney, VUR is often identified prenatally or younger than one year old and is most often associated with boys⁴