Imaging evaluation of blunt renal trauma in children: diagnostic accuracy of intravenous pyelography and ultrasonography.

Forty-six consecutive children with blunt renal injury were evaluated retrospectively to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the different imaging methods, including ultrasonography (US), intravenous pyelography (IVP), and computed tomography (CT), and to determine the optimal radiologic management. Doppler ultrasonography was never performed in an emergency. Classification of the 46 renal injuries was as follows: 25 contusions, 4 lacerations, 11 ruptures, and 6 pedicle injuries. The diagnostic accuracy of IVP (80.8%) was superior to the diagnostic accuracy of US (41%) in all types of renal injuries. IVP should be performed as an emergency procedure when macroscopic hematuria is present, or when an isolated renal injury is clinically suspected. Microscopic hematuria alone is no longer an indication to perform IVP. Asymptomatic patients with microscopic hematuria should have US examination and should be observed with performance of serial urine analyses. Multiply injured and hemodynamically stable children should be evaluated by contrast-enhanced CT. Hemodynamically unstable children should undergo immediate exploratory laparotomy, if it is indicated after assessment by imaging.