Excretory urography and cystourethrography in the evaluation of children with urinary tract infection.

One hundred and ninety-one children with a first episode of urinary tract infection (UTI) underwent intravenous pyelography (IVP) and voiding cystourethrography (VCU). Only three children (1.5%) had positive findings in the IVP that were of prognostic significance and were confined to that particular investigation alone. In contrast, 97 (50.7%) of the VCUs showed anatomical abnormalities. Vesico-ureteral reflux (VUR) of varying grades was diagnosed in 77 children (40.3%). These findings stress the importance of radiological investigation of the urinary tract after the first incidence of UTI, but suggest that IVP will give information of therapeutic and/or prognostic value in a small number of cases.