Clinical Radiology
Volume 63, Issue 10 , Pages 1131-1135 , October 2008

Is the KUB radiograph redundant for investigating acute ureteric colic in the non-contrast enhanced computed tomography era?

  • S.J. Kennish

      Affiliations

    • Department of Radiology, St James' University Hospital, Leeds, UK
  • ,
  • P. Bhatnagar

      Affiliations

    • Department of Radiology, St James' University Hospital, Leeds, UK
  • ,
  • T.M. Wah

      Affiliations

    • Department of Radiology, St James' University Hospital, Leeds, UK
    • Corresponding Author InformationGuarantor and correspondent: T.M. Wah, Department of Radiology, St James' University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK. Tel.: +44 113 2064330; fax: +44 113 3922276.
  • ,
  • S. Bush

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, St James' University Hospital, Leeds, UK
  • ,
  • H.C. Irving

      Affiliations

    • Department of Radiology, St James' University Hospital, Leeds, UK

Received 2 January 2008 ,Revised 8 April 2008 ,Accepted 25 April 2008.

References 

  1. Sandhu C, Anson KM, Patel U. Urinary tract stones—part 1: role of radiological imaging in diagnosis and treatment planning. Clin Radiol. 2003;58:415–421
  2. Greenwell TJ, Woodhams S, Denton ERM, et al. One year's clinical experience with unenhanced spiral computed tomography for the assessment of acute loin pain suggestive of renal colic. BJU Int. 2000;85:632–636
  3. Caro JJ, Trindade E, McGregor M. The risks of death and of severe nonfatal reactions with high- vs low-osmolality contrast media: a meta-analysis. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1991;156:825–832
  4. Pfister SA, Deckart A, Laschke S, et al. Unenhanced helical computed tomography vs intravenous urography in patients with acute flank pain: accuracy and economic impact in a randomized prospective trial. Eur Radiol. 2003;13:2513–2520
  5. Miller OF, Rineer SK, Reichard SR, et al. Prospective comparison of unenhanced spiral computed tomography and intravenous urogram in the evaluation of acute flank pain. Urology. 1998;52:982–987
  6. Appledorn SV, Ball AJ, Patel VR, et al. Limitations of noncontrast CT for measuring ureteral stones. J Endourol. 2003;17:851–854
  7. Katz D, McGahan JP, Gerscovich EO, et al. Correlation of ureteral stone measurements by CT and plain film radiography: utility of the KUB. J Endourol. 2003;17:847–850
  8. Boulay I, Holtz P, Dennis Foley W, et al. Ureteral calculi: diagnostic efficacy of helical CT and implications for treatment of patients. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1999;172:1485–1490
  9. Poletti PA, Platon A, Rutschmann OT, et al. Abdominal plain film in patients admitted with clinical suspicion of renal colic: should it be replaced by low-dose computed tomography?. Urology. 2006;67:64–68
  10. Levine JA, Neitlich JN, Verga M, et al. Ureteral calculi in patients with flank pain: correlation of plain radiography with unenhanced helical CT. Radiology. 1997;204:27–31
  11. Jackman SV, Potter SR, Regan F, et al. Plain abdominal x-ray versus computerized tomography screening: sensitivity for stone localization after nonenhanced spiral computerized tomography. J Urol. 2000;164:308–310
  12. Mendelson RM, Arnold-Reed DE, Kuan M, et al. Renal colic: a prospective evaluation of non-enhanced spiral CT versus intravenous pyelography. Australas Radiol. 2003;47:22–28
  13. Heidenreich A, Desgrandchamps F, Terrier F. Modern approach of diagnosis and management of acute flank pain: review of all imaging modalities. Eur Urol. 2002;41:351–362
  14. Chowdhury FU, Kotwal S, Raghunathan G, et al. Unenhanced multidetector CT (CT KUB) in the initial imaging of suspected acute renal colic: evaluating a new service. Clin Radiol. 2007;62:970–977
  15. Kim BS, Hwang IK, Choi YW, et al. Low-dose and standard-dose unenhanced helical computed tomography for the assessment of acute renal colic: prospective comparative study. Acta Radiol. 2005;7:756–763
  16. Kluner C, Hein PA, Gralla O, et al. Does ultra-low-dose CT with a radiation dose equivalent to that of KUB suffice to detect renal and ureteral calculi?. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 2006;30:44–50
  17. Mulkens TH, Daineffe S, Wijngaert RD, et al. Urinary stone disease: comparison of standard-dose and low-dose with 4D MDCT tube current modulation. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2007;188:553–562
  18. Katz DS, Scheer M, Lumerman JH, et al. Alternative or additional diagnoses on unenhanced helical computed tomography for suspected renal colic: experience with 1000 consecutive examinations. Urology. 2000;56:53–57
  19. Mutgi A, Williams JW, Nettleman M. Renal colic, utility of the plain abdominal roentgenogram. Arch Intern Med. 1991;151:1589–1592
  20. Hartman RP, Kawashima A, LeRoy AJ. Helical CT in the diagnosis of urolithiasis. In:  Morcos S,  Cohan RH editor. New techniques in uroradiology. 1st ed.. Taylor and Francis; 2006;p. 13–33
  21. Fielding JR, Steele G, Fox LA, et al. Spiral computerized tomography in the evaluation of acute flank pain: a replacement for excretory urography. J Urol. 1997;157:2071–2073
  22. Chen MY, Zagoria RJ, Stuart Saunders H, et al. Trends in the use of unenhanced helical CT for acute urinary colic. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1999;173:1447–1450
  23. Lasoye TA, Sedgwick PM, Patel N, et al. Management of acute renal colic in the UK: a questionnaire survey. BMC Emerg Med. 2004;4:5

PII: S0009-9260(08)00185-2

doi: 10.1016/j.crad.2008.04.012

Clinical Radiology
Volume 63, Issue 10 , Pages 1131-1135 , October 2008