Comparison of post contrast CT urography phases in bladder cancer detection

The aim of this study was to investigate which post-contrast phase(s) in a four-phase CT urography protocol is (are) most suitable for bladder cancer detection.

The medical records of 106 patients with visible haematuria who underwent a CT urography examination, including unenhanced, enhancement-triggered corticomedullary (CMP), nephrographic (NP) and excretory (EP) phases, were reviewed. The post-contrast phases (n = 318 different phases) were randomized into an evaluation order and blindly reviewed by two uroradiologists.

Twenty-one patients were diagnosed with bladder cancer. Sensitivity for bladder cancer detection was 0.95 in CMP, 0.83 in NP and 0.81 in EP. Negative predictive value (NPV) was 0.99 in CMP, 0.96 in NP and 0.95 in EP. The sensitivity was higher in CMP than in both NP (p-value 0.016) and EP (p-value 0.0003). NPV was higher in CMP than in NP (p-value 0.024) and EP (p-value 0.002).

In the CT urography protocol with enhancement-triggered scan, sensitivity and NPV were highest in the corticomedullary phase, and this phase should be used for bladder assessment.

• More bladder tumours are detected during the corticomedullary phase than during other phases. • Sensitivity and NPV for bladder cancer detection were highest in corticomedullary phase. • The corticomedullary phase in CT urography should be used for bladder assessment.