title: Helical CT of urinary tract stones. Epidemiology, origin, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management.
abstract: Urolithiasis is a common medical problem. The diagnosis of this entity in the setting of acute flank pain presents an interesting challenge to the radiologist. Unenhanced helical CT has recently entered the fray and has quickly become the imaging study of choice when evaluating patients with acute flank pain and suspected ureterolithiasis. The nature and origin of ureteral stones and the pathophysiology of ureteral obstruction provide a basis for understanding the imaging findings in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Rsmith@biomed.med.yale.edu
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Rosenfeld
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012079:Renal Circulation; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy