[Ultrasound for renal colic]

Nowadays the Spiral-CT-scan is stressed as the diagnostic "gold-standard" in the management of kidney-colics. Our findings suggest a very good sensitivity (98%) and specificity of diagnostic ultrasound (items:Hydrourether, RI > 0.05) in combination with hematuria in an ambulatory setting. Our data are referred to 70 ambulatory patients examined with the hypothetical diagnosis of kidney-colic in a general medicine surgery between 1996-2003. Diagnostic ultrasound is a reliable tool in the management of kidney-colics in ambulatory medicine. Its cost-saving character and the lack of X-rays-exposure should be taken into account in choosing the appropriate method in judging abdominal pains possibly related to kidney-colics.