Imaging of non-traumatic urinary bladder emergencies

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Emergency Medicine
• Urology

Background:

• Non-traumatic urinary bladder emergencies are uncommon but critical diagnoses.
• Accurate and timely diagnosis is essential for favorable clinical outcomes.
• A comprehensive review of the spectrum of these emergencies is lacking in current literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To illustrate the spectrum of non-traumatic urinary bladder emergencies.
• To review the characteristic imaging findings of these conditions.
• To describe the role of imaging in the evaluation of patients with bladder emergencies.

Main Methods:

• Review of imaging findings for non-traumatic urinary bladder emergencies.
• Focus on multidetector computed tomography (CT) as the primary imaging modality.
• Discussion of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a problem-solving tool.

Main Results:

• Multidetector CT is the imaging modality of choice for acute urinary bladder conditions.
• MRI offers superior soft tissue characterization and in-plane resolution for complex cases.
• Familiarity with imaging strategies is crucial for radiologists in emergency settings.

Conclusions:

• This review aims to consolidate knowledge on urinary bladder emergencies, aiding radiologists in diagnosis.
• Understanding imaging findings helps avoid non-specific conclusions in emergency evaluations.
• The article emphasizes the importance of imaging in managing acute, non-traumatic bladder pathologies.