ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN ACUTE RENAL COLIC

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Intravenous urography(IVU) has long been accepted as the primary radiologic study for the diagnosis of renal colic. But the IVU does pose disks of contrast material reactions and exposure to radiation. Recently, IVU has been challenged as a first line modality and ultrasonography proposed as a replacement. We, therefore, felt obliged to re-evaluate the IVU, KUB and ultrasonography as diagnostic tools. METHODS: We evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound, IVU and KUB in detecting urinary calculi in suspected acute renal colic, a prospective study of 69 patients, both sides of kidney and ureter, who visited urban university hospital emergency center from September 1997 to January 1998. Our sonographic criteria far a positive examination consisted of visualization of urinary tract calculus and/or hydronephrosis and/or urinoma. RESULTS: In Ultrasonography, the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were 94, 94 and 94%. In IVU and KUB, they were 90, 81, 98% and 71, 43, 96%. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography is very useful diagnostic tool in initial evaluation of acute renal colic.