What characterizes URO-TK
Urography, as the name suggests, is an examination that covers almost the entire urinary system, i.e. kidneys, ureters and bladder with a fragment of the urethra. When ultrasound or X-ray examination is not sufficient for a clear assessment of these organs, or when worrying tumors or structures are found during these examinations, patients are often referred for computed tomography of the urinary tract, the so-called URO-CT.
CT imaging of these organs is extremely effective. It is almost always able to dispel any clinical doubts, both oncological (related to cancerous processes) and brilliantly shows the location of kidney stones, ureteral stones or those located in the bladder. It also reveals urinary stasis along the entire course of the system, and allows to assess the thickness of the mucous membranes in the organs in question.
The accuracy of CT imaging can only be matched by magnetic resonance (MR), however, during MR imaging we are unable to cover the abdomen and pelvis at the same time, here CT has the advantage.
Course of the study
The CT scan begins above the diaphragm and, covering the entire abdominal cavity, descends all the way down past the bladder to detect the various pathologies afflicting the urinary system.
This examination is very often performed with contrast enhancement. The entire examination consists of 4 scans, the so-called phases. We list:
- native phase – imaging the urinary system before the administration of contrast,
- arterial phase – showing the shadowing agent located in the arteries and structures into which arterial blood quickly flows, such as the renal cortex,
- venous phase – here the shading agent, the so-called contrast has had time to “dissolve” through the body and shows the venous cavity of the organs, as well as many tumors and cysts,
- delayed phase – when the contrast is already captured by the kidneys and flows through the ureters to the bladder, which allows to assess the efficiency of urine flow and possible stasis.
It happens to perform URO-CT without the administration of a shadowing agent, when it is enough for the doctor to show the location and volume of deposits with urinary tract stones
Preparation for URO-CT examination
Examination of this part of the body can take place both with and without a shadowing agent, so-called contrast, depending on the clinical need. The decision to administer contrast or not to do so is made by the referring physician and/or the radiologist present during the examination at our facility.
When performing this test with contrast, it is necessary to be fasting, and to determine the creatinine level and eGFR from the blood. If you have any thyroid problems, you should also have your thyrotropin hormone levels, known as TSH levels, determined.
It is necessary, as for any CT scan and ionizing radiation, to bring a current referral for the URO-CT examination.