Radiology, Vol 187, 161-164, Copyright © 1993 by Radiological Society of North America
Impact of contrast medium temperature on bladder capacity and cystographic diagnosis of vesicoureteral reflux in children
JM Zerin
Department of Radiology, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI.
To assess the influence of temperature of contrast medium used in voiding
cystourethrography (VCUG) on the estimation of bladder capacity and
detection of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), 250 consecutive children (aged
from birth to 13.5 years) undergoing VCUG were randomized to receive room
temperature (n = 133) or body temperature (n = 117) contrast medium.
Bladder capacity (ie, volume infused) was measured, and bladder volume
index (BVI) was calculated by dividing the measured capacity by the
predicted capacity. Contrast medium temperature did not affect either
bladder capacity (warm: mean capacity, 210.8 mL; cold: mean capacity, 212.6
mL) or BVI (warm: mean BVI, 1.15; cold: mean BVI, 1.10). Although boys had
smaller capacities than girls, neither capacity nor BVI was significantly
(P > .05) affected by contrast medium temperature in either sex. VUR was
detected in 42 (35.9%) of 117 children studied with warmed contrast medium
and in 42 (31.6%) of 133 studied with room temperature medium. Prevalence
of VUR was unaffected by contrast medium temperature in children with
previously diagnosed VUR and in those studied for the first time.
