2006 American College of Radiology 0091-2182/06; 814-817.
Miller JC, Maher MM, Grocela JA, Thrall JH, Lee SI.
Imaging has traditionally played a central role in the evaluation of patients with renal colic or hematuria. Recently, multidetector computed tomographic (CT) urography has replaced conventional plain-film excretory urography (also known as intravenous pyelography or intravenous urography) as the diagnostic study of choice for these patients. Computed tomographic protocols to evaluate the urinary tract are tailored to answer specific clinical questions. Dedicated protocols have been developed, including the "stone protocol" for detecting urinary tract calculi, CT urography for evaluating patients with hematuria, and the "renal-mass protocol" to characterize known renal masses (Table 1). To appropriately evaluate renal colic or hematuria, a referring physician must be familiar with the various CT imaging protocols, as well as the strengths and limitations of the other modalities available for imaging the urinary tract.