ROLE OF ULTRASOUND AND INTRAVENOUS UROGRAPHY IN PATIENTS WITH RENAL COLIC

Abstract

Objective: To determine the accuracy of Ultrasound along with x-ray KUB and IVU in detecting renal / ureteric calculi in patients with renal colic.
Study Design: Validation study
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Radiology POF Hospital Wah cantt from 15-06-09 to 15-12-09.
Materials and Methods: One hundred and eleven consecutive patients with clinically suspected urinary tract calculi were selected for study. At first they underwent sonography along with x-ray KUB and then IVU. We evaluated the sensitivity, specificity, negative /positive predictive values and accuracy of US X-ray KUB combination and IVU for detecting renal / ureteric calculi while final diagnosis (gold standard) obtained from the results of clinical course/urological procedures.
Results: Out of 111 consecutive patients 46 (41 %) were normal and 65 (59 %) patients had KUB calculi. US along with x-ray KUB detected 59 patients and missed 6 patients and likewise IVU detected 61 patients out of 65 patients. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of both these modalities are almost similar with IVU having slightly upper edge.
Conclusion: IVU remains an important investigation in the assessment of calculus and other causes of urinary tract obstruction. Ultrasound in combination with x-ray KUB is an excellent modality having almost similar diagnostic capability as IVU in detecting KUB calculi along with many more significant advantages, as it has less radiation dose, relatively inexpensive, universally available, easily applicable and high diagnostic efficacy.