Use of computed tomography (CT) for urolithiasis in pediatric patients

Numbers of annual CT examinations have been increasing incrementally each year during the last 10-20 years. Use of unenhanced CT has been increasingly used for evaluation of urolithiasis, and concerned had been raised about the risks of increased radiation exposure in pediatric patients. Sensitivities and specificity for ureteral stones on conventional CT have been reported up to 98-100%, respectively. Low dose protocols have been developed with the goal of reducing radiation dose with adequate image quality. Although the sensitivity and the specificity of CT is the highest, many can be diagnosed with combination of KUB and ultrasound. CT can be utilized in equivocal cases. Low-dose radiation CT protocols have been reported with high sensitivity and specificity and should be used in pediatric patients when a CT scan is needed.