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[Value of non-contrast helical computerized tomography in nephrotic colic assessment]
A Rodríguez Alonso1, D Pérez García, A Ojea Calvo
1Servicio de Urología, Hospital Xeral-Cíes, Vigo, Pontevedra.
Objective:
To compare non-contrast helicoid CAT to urological ultrasound in order to determine the sensitivity of both in the etiological diagnosis of nephritic colic.
Material And Methods:
Retrospective study conducted on a total of 86 patients seen in our ER service over a 12-month period with a diagnosis of nephritic colic. All patients with suspicious diagnosis of nephritic colic underwent X-ray examination, with either non-contrast helicoid CAR or urological ultrasound, or with a combination of both imaging techniques. Radiologic diagnosis of nephritic colic was made by direct visualization of the obstructive cause or by the presence of indirect radiological signs of upper urinary tract obstruction.
Results:
Of 86 patients studied, in 84 (97.67%) a urinary stone was the cause for obstruction. Overall sensitivity of helicoid CAT to diagnose colic etiology was 94.73%, whereas ultrasound sensitivity was only 53.42%, displaying a particularly low sensitivity when the obstruction was located at the mid third level of the ureter.
Conclusions:
Non-contrast helicoid CAT shows superior sensitivity as a radiologic technique than ultrasound to identify the cause of a nephritic colic in any segment of the upper urinary tract.