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Distal ureteral calculi: detection with vaginal US
F C Laing1, C B Benson, D N DiSalvo
1Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
Radiology
|August 1, 1994
Summary
Vaginal ultrasonography effectively identifies distal ureteral calculi and hydroureter in women, outperforming transabdominal scans. This imaging technique is crucial for diagnosing ureteral stones when other methods are inconclusive.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Radiology
- Gynecology
Background:
- Distal ureteral calculi can cause significant flank pain and hematuria.
- Diagnosing distal ureteral stones can be challenging with conventional imaging.
- Pregnancy is a common complicating factor in evaluating ureteral calculi.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of vaginal ultrasonography in detecting distal ureteral calculi.
- To assess the utility of vaginal sonography in identifying hydroureter.
- To compare vaginal ultrasonography with transabdominal sonography for distal ureteral stone evaluation.
Main Methods:
- 13 women with suspected distal ureteral calculi underwent both abdominal and vaginal sonography.
- Patients presented with symptoms including flank pain and hematuria.
- Six of the patients were pregnant, highlighting the technique's applicability in this population.
Main Results:
- Vaginal ultrasonography detected distal ureteral calculi in all 13 patients.
- Transabdominal sonography only identified calculi in 2 patients.
- Vaginal scanning revealed distal hydroureter in all patients, compared to only 2 with abdominal scanning.
Conclusions:
- Vaginal ultrasonography is a highly sensitive method for visualizing distal ureteral calculi.
- This technique is particularly valuable when transabdominal ultrasound results are normal or inconclusive.
- Consideration of vaginal sonography is recommended for symptomatic female patients with suspected distal ureteral pathology.