Endoscopic Subureteral Collagen Injection for the Treatment of Vesicoureteral Reflux in Infants and Children

Abstract

Between June 1988 and September 1994, 100 girls and 32 boys 2 months to 15.5 years old (average 4.9 years) with 204 refluxing ureteral units were treated by endoscopic subureteral collagen injection. The collagen injected was of bovine origin and cross-linked with glutaraldehyde (Zyplast * * Collagen Corp., Palo Alto, CA. ). Followup ranged from 3 to 75 months (mean 33). Reflux was absent in 62.7 percent of cases 3 months after 1 endoscopic subureteral injection. Improvement to reflux grades I and II, generally not requiring further treatment, occurred in a further 15.2 percent of cases. A total of 66 ureters was injected twice. The overall cure rate after 1 or 2 injections was 79.4 percent 3 months after injection. There was no correlation between the risk of recurrent reflux and initial degree of reflux. Late recurrence of reflux following a reflux-free period occurred in 11.3 percent of the 204 units during the observation period, which varied from 3 months to 6 1/4 years. Reflux was absent after 1 or 2 injections, including late recurrence, in 70.6 percent of cases and in an additional 13.2 percent recurrent reflux was grade I or II, not necessitating any further treatment. Considering these results, subureteral collagen injection remains an adequate method of treatment for vesicoureteral reflux in children.