title: Imaging techniques in the diagnosis of urinary tract infection.
abstract: In terms of future morbidity and mortality, one of the most important considerations in urinary tract infection is the age of the patient. In adults, only those with complications or illnesses that fail to respond to treatment require investigation to exclude underlying pathology. In contrast, the young are at risk of future hypertensive and renal disease; imaging techniques are therefore of paramount importance to identify those with renal parenchymal disease at an early stage and permit appropriate and adequate treatment. 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy is emerging as the method of choice for this purpose, because it combines high specificity and sensitivity with convenience, repeatability, and acceptable radiation doses. Voiding cystourethrography will also be required in many cases to exclude bladder pathology. New developments include the use of color Doppler ultrasonography and the nuclear magnetic resonance technique of rapid acquisition recall echo urography, both of which may become of value for the detection of scarring.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary, UK.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Testa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D004113:Succimer; D019783:Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014567:Urography
chemical_list: D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019783:Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid; D004113:Succimer