Contrast-enhanced Voiding Urosonography for Vesicoureteral Reflux Diagnosis in Children

Contrast-enhanced voiding urosonography (ceVUS) is a dynamic imaging technique that makes it possible to study the structure of the urinary tract after the administration of intravesical contrast material. Initially, ceVUS was indicated mainly to study vesicoureteral reflux (VUR); however, since the ability of ceVUS to depict the structure of the urethra was demonstrated in both sexes, ceVUS is now indicated for examination of the entire urinary tract. The main benefit of ceVUS is that it does not use ionizing radiation. In recent years, fundamental changes have occurred in the understanding of VUR. The lessening effect of VUR and the low rate of occurrence of urethral pathologic conditions have given rise to changes in the indications for tests for these conditions. In addition to being able to help confirm a diagnosis of VUR, the ceVUS technique can be used to depict obstructive and nonobstructive urethral pathologic conditions, as well as normal variants, on high-quality images. Furthermore, ceVUS enables real-time assessment of voiding function. For these reasons, ceVUS should be not only an alternative to voiding cystourethrography, but also the technique of choice for the study of the entire urinary tract in pediatric patients. Online supplemental material is available for this article. (C)RSNA, 2017