Secondary fındıngs of ureteral stones and theır relatıonshıp wıth stone sıze ın unenhanced computed tomography (original) (raw)

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of secondary signs associated with ureteral stones and their relationships with stone size in unenhanced computed tomography (CT) scans. Methods: Patients aged 18 and over, who underwent non-contrast tomography in the stone protocol, due to suspected urinary system stones, were included in our study. Tomography images of 324 patients meeting these criteria were retrospectively evaluated. Results: The study included 187 males (57.7%). Ureteral stones were observed in 63.9% of the patients with hydronephrosis, 62.7% of the patients with hydroureter, 36.1% of the patients with perinephric fat stranding, 32.5 % of the patients with tissue rim sign. Ureteral stones were categorized into two groups according to their size as ≤4 mm and >4 mm. There was a significant difference between the groups concerning the presence of hydronephrosis (p = 0.009). There was no significant difference considering other findings. Conclusıon: The frequency of secondary findings in ureteral stones is high. Especially hydronephrosis, the most common secondary clue, is more common in calculi larger than 4 mm in diameter. Secondary findings may be useful when it is challenging to distinguish ureteral stones from extra-uretic calcifications.