Secondary fındıngs of ureteral stones and theır relatıonshıp wıth stone sıze ın unenhanced computed tomography

Abstract

Objectıves: 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.