A review of renal scarring in children.

It is now widely accepted that children with a proven urinary tract infection should undergo some form of diagnostic imaging to assess the presence of, or the potential to develop, renal scarring. The type of investigation which should be performed is controversial. Some centres still perform intravenous urography, others rely on ultrasound alone, while others believe that a 99Tc(m)-dimercaptosuccinic acid (99Tc(m)-DMSA) scan is essential. This review discusses the advantages and disadvantages of these techniques by drawing from the extensive literature currently available. The consensus view is that a DMSA scan is the most sensitive method of detecting renal scarring and of highlighting the kidney at risk of developing scarring. It is hoped that wider early use of DMSA scintigraphy will lead to a fall in the number of children who develop end-stage renal disease.