The clinical application of spiral CT urography

Objective:To evaluate the clinical applications of spiral CT urography(SCTU) in the urinary tract abnormalities.Methods:Precontrast and four-phase postcontrast helical CT scans were performed in 120 patients with urinary tract diseases confirmed by clinic and pathology, and the curved multiplanar reformation(MPR) and SCTU images were generated from the volumetric data.The ability of SCTU in detecting and diagnosing of urinary tract diseases was investigated.The results were then compared with the findings of the other imaging techniques and surgery.Results:Combining with axial and curved MPR images,the location,size,morphology,extension and the urinary obstruction of the urinary tract diseases could be three-dimensionally demonstrated in 92.2% cases.The findings of urinary tract lesion on helical CT images corresponded well with those of surgery in 101 cases.SCTU was useful in displaying the some characterizations of the urinary tract abnormalities,and could compensate for some disadvantages of the axial,MPR images and other imaging techniques.Conclusion:SCTU has obvious advantage in the detection and diagnosis of the urinary tract abnormalities,and it can play an important role in the clinical work,but SCTU should be nearly combined with the multiple phase axial and MPR images to provide comprehensive information about the urinary tract abnormalities.