Computed tomography of urinary calculi

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Urology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Nonopaque calculi in the upper urinary tract pose diagnostic challenges.
• Accurate differentiation from other radiolucent filling defects is crucial for patient management.

Observation:

• Computed tomography (CT) was employed to assess nine patients with nonopaque upper urinary tract calculi.
• Calculi were consistently identified as high-density objects, ranging from 370-586 Hounsfield units.

Findings:

• Calcium oxalate and cystine stones exhibited higher attenuation values than uric acid or xanthine stones.
• CT readily distinguished calculi from blood clots and neoplasms due to significantly higher attenuation values.

Implications:

• CT imaging of the upper urinary tract can obviate the need for invasive procedures like retrograde pyelography.
• This non-invasive approach aids in differentiating nonopaque filling defects, improving diagnostic efficiency.