OBJECTIVES: To compare the results of plain abdominal films, tomography, ultrasonography and spiral computed tomography in the detection of residual stone fragments after extracorporeal lithotripsy or percutaneous nephrolithotomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective study on 31 patients and 40 renal units comparing the results obtained by plain abdominal films, tomography, ultrasonography and spiral CT. RESULTS: This study demonstrates the superiority of spiral CT over the other examinations for detection of renal stones (sensitivity of 100% for spiral CT, 89.2% for tomography, 82.1% for plain abdominal films and 67.8% for ultrasonography), determination of their number (n = 68, 58, 60 and 27, respectively) and demonstration of millimetric stones (100%, 69.4%, 67.8% and 2.7%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Spiral CT is the method of renal stone imaging which provides the most reliable diagnosis of radiopaque, non radiopaque, millimetric or centimetric stones, regardless of local anatomical conditions.
OBJECTIVES: To compare the results of plain abdominal films, tomography, ultrasonography and spiral computed tomography in the detection of residual stone fragments after extracorporeal lithotripsy or percutaneous nephrolithotomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective study on 31 patients and 40 renal units comparing the results obtained by plain abdominal films, tomography, ultrasonography and spiral CT. RESULTS: This study demonstrates the superiority of spiral CT over the other examinations for detection of renal stones (sensitivity of 100% for spiral CT, 89.2% for tomography, 82.1% for plain abdominal films and 67.8% for ultrasonography), determination of their number (n = 68, 58, 60 and 27, respectively) and demonstration of millimetric stones (100%, 69.4%, 67.8% and 2.7%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Spiral CT is the method of renal stone imaging which provides the most reliable diagnosis of radiopaque, non radiopaque, millimetric or centimetric stones, regardless of local anatomical conditions.