The prevalence of urinary stones in the United States has been described as 1 in 11 persons reporting a history of stones. Imaging plays a crucial role in diagnosis, management and follow-up for these patients and imaging technology over the last 100 years has advanced as the disease prevalence has increased. Computed tomography (CT) remains the gold standard for imaging urolithiasis and changes in this technology, with the addition of multidetector CT and dual-energy CT, as well as the changes in utilization of CT, have decreased the radiation dose encountered by patients and allowed for improved stone detection. The use of Digital Tomography has been introduced for follow-up of recurrent stone formers offering the potential to lower radiation exposure over the course of a patient's life long treatment. However, there is still a demand for improved imaging techniques to detect smaller stones and stones in larger patients at lower radiation doses, as well as, the continued need for the judicious use of all imaging modalities for health care cost containment and patient safety.
Journal of endourology. 2017 Apr 12 [Epub ahead of print]
Joanne Andrea Dale, Rajan T Gupta, Daniele Marin, Michael Eric Lipkin, Glenn M Preminger
Duke University Medical Center, Urology , Rm 1573 White Zone , Duke South , DUMC 3167 , Durham, North Carolina, United States , 27710 ; ., Duke University, Radiology, Durham, North Carolina, United States ; ., Duke University Hospital, 22957, Radiology, Durham, North Carolina, United States ; ., Duke University Medical Center, Surgery, Urology , DUMC 3167 , Durham, North Carolina, United States , 27710 ; ., Duke University Medical Center, Urology , DUMC 3167 , Durham, North Carolina, United States , 27710 ; .