Otal P, Irsutti M, Chabbert V, Murat C, Ducassé J L, Rousseau H, Joffre F
Service Central de Radiologie, Hôpital de Rangueil, 1, avenue J Poulhès, 31403 Toulouse Cedex 4.
J Radiol. 2001 Jan;82(1):27-33.
Ureterolithiasis is a common disease responsible for a large number of admissions in emergency departments and a wide utilization of imaging studies. The purpose of this review was to analyze the respective role of the different available imaging techniques. Intravenous urography is the gold-standard for diagnosis of acute obstruction, but positive detection of a stone may prove difficult at times. US is less accurate than urography for both diagnoses of obstruction and lithiasis, but it represents a non invasive alternative to IVU (no ionizing radiation and no IV contrast). The information obtained from measurements of intra-renal resistive index is poorly contributive. Non contrast helical CT has become the gold-standard for the diagnosis of ureterolithiasis, the two main factors limiting its widespread use are its accessibility and the radiation exposure. Nevertheless, its excellent diagnostic performance tends to dramatically reduce the need for IVU.
