A review of 231 consecutive patients with congenital scoliosis (exclusive of myelomeningocele) shows an incidence of 18 per cent with coexisting urological anomalies including 2.5 per cent which had obstructive disease that could be life threatening.
It is important to recognize that the incidence of urological anomalies has been found to be much higher in this group of congenitally scoliotic children than the incidence reported by urologists in their routine pediatric studies. When considering the life-threatening aspects, the incidence of reversible problems, and the fact that symptoms were absent or minimum in most of these patients, it would appear that a positive approach should be taken indicating a baseline intravenous pyelogram in a study of all children with congenital scoliosis, regardless of the location or severity of the spinal deformity.