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Diagnostic validity of helical CT compared to ultrasonography in renal-ureteral colic

Diego Rengifo Abbad1, Gil Rodríguez Caravaca, Laura Barreales Tolosa

  • 1Urology Department, University Hospital Fundacion Alcorcon, Alcorcon, Madrid, Spain. drengifo22@yahoo.es

Archivos Espanoles De Urologia
|April 10, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Helical CT (CTh) is a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tool for renoureteral colic, outperforming ultrasound in identifying lithiasis. CTh offers a valuable alternative for managing patients with kidney stone pain.

Area of Science:

  • Radiology
  • Urology
  • Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

  • Renoureteral colic diagnosis often relies on imaging techniques.
  • Helical CT (CTh) without contrast is emerging as a potential diagnostic tool.
  • Comparison with ultrasound is crucial for establishing CTh's clinical utility.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Evaluate the diagnostic validity of CTh for renoureteral colic.
  • Compare CTh's efficacy against ultrasound in diagnosing kidney stones and related pathologies.
  • Assess CTh as an efficient alternative for renoureteral colic management.

Main Methods:

  • Diagnostic evaluation study conducted from January 2004 to December 2006.
  • 124 patients with persistent renoureteral colic underwent blinded evaluation by ultrasound and CTh.
  • Gold standard confirmation guided follow-up; statistical analysis included Chi2 and McNemar tests.

Main Results:

  • CTh demonstrated superior performance in diagnosing lithiasis (59.7%) compared to ultrasound (22.8%).
  • CTh achieved 100% sensitivity and positive predictive value, with overall validity exceeding 95%.
  • Ultrasound showed 100% specificity and positive predictive value but only 29.6% sensitivity (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

  • CTh is a highly effective diagnostic technique for renoureteral colic.
  • The study supports CTh as a valuable alternative in managing kidney stone disease.
  • CTh's high sensitivity and specificity enhance diagnostic accuracy for colic-related pathologies.
Abstract

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