Nuclear medicine and complementary modalities in renal trauma.

The diagnosis of renal trauma for many years was achieved through history, clinical findings, the performance of a survey film of the abdomen, urinalysis, excretory urography, aortography, and selective renal artery arteriography. The development of the scintillation camera and the availability of 99mTc, as well as 99mTc labeled pharmaceuticals, approximately fifteen years ago has widened this diagnostic horizon. Exquisite new imaging modalities have become available recently. As a result of constantly improving technology, these techniques--including computed tomography, sonography, with real time enhancement, and digital video subtraction angiography--are utilized more and more frequently. The full impact of these newest wonders is not yet realized. Cost-effectiveness, radiation exposure, accumulative drug side-effects, availability of facilities and personnel and professional and technical training have become major considerations.