ULTRASOUND SCAN FINDINGS IN CAMEROONESE CHILDREN WITH A FIRST URINARY-TRACT INFECTION

To evaluate the prevalence of congenital urinary tract defects in Came roonese children, the kidneys and urinary tract were investigated by u ltrasound scanning in 55 children with a first documented episode of u rinary tract infection. A Siemens unit with a 5 Mhz transducer was use d. The appearance of transversal and longitudinal sections of both kid neys was assessed, as well as the size of the kidneys, their contours, the pyelocalyceal cavities, and corticomedullary differentiation; in addition, dilation of the retrovesical portions of the ureters was loo ked for. Thirty-nine sonograms (71%) were normal. Among the 16 abnorma l sonograms, 12 (22%) showed minor defects (minor pyelocalyceal dilati on) and four (7%) major defects (severe ureteropelvic junction obstruc tion, n = 1; megaureter, n = 1 ; posterior ureteral valves, n = 2). Tw o patients had evidence of acute pyelonephritis (focal bacterial nephr itis in one case and diffuse pyelonephritis in the other). These data are consistent with earlier studies suggesting that ultrasound evaluat ion of the kidneys and urinary tract should be performed in both boys and girls with a first urinary tract infection to look for urinary tra ct malformations.