Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kwangju Christian Hospital
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE : To evaluate the diagnostic value of combined KUB and ultrasound in patients with ureteral calculi.MATERIAL & METHODS : We retrospectively reviewed the KUB and ultrasound findings in 71 cases of clinically,radiologically, and surgically confirmed ureteral calculi. We evaluated the diagnostic sensitivity of each methodrespectively, and then compared the sensitivity of each method with that of combined studies. RESULTS : Theoverall diagnostic sensitivities in detection of the ureteral calculi were 92.9% for KUB and 78.8% for ultrasound.The sensitivities in detection of the upper ureteral calculi were 95.1 (39 / 41) and 82.9% (34 / 41), and those indetection of the lower ureteral calculi were 90.0 (27 / 30) and 73.3% (22 / 30), respectively. On theultrasonography, the false negative rate in detection of ureteral calculi was 21.1%. The sensitivity of ultrasoundin detection of acute urinary obstruction by ureteral calculi was 87.3%. When both studies were combined, thediagnostic sensitivities were 92.9 (66 / 71), 97.5 (40 / 41) and 86.6% (26 / 30) for overall, upper and lowerureteral calculi, respectively. CONCLUSION : Combined KUB and ultrasound was a sensitive method for detection ofureteral calculi and for determination of acute urinary obstruction by reducing the number of false negativeultrasound results in patients with ureteral calculi.