title: Visualization of urinary stones by 3-D ultrasound with surface rendering.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of 3-D ultrasound with surface rendering in stones located in different parts of the urinary tract. A total of 55 patients with urinary stones were examined by transabdominal 3-D ultrasound (US) with surface rendering of the stone. In calculi of the prevesical ureter, bladder and prostatic urethra, transrectal 3-D endosonography was performed as well. The radiographic shape and the chemical analysis of the stone were correlated to the sonographic findings. The localization of the stone was: renal 23, ureteral 26, vesical 5 and urethral 1. All stones could be identified by 3-D US. Surface rendering produced useful results in stones > 2 cm with a 3.5-MHz transabdominal scanning probe, and in all stones that were accessible with a 7.5-MHz transrectal scanning probe. In stones < 1 cm, endoUS with surface rendering provides more information on the structure of the stone than plain radiography, but there is no correlation between surface and chemical analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ulm, Germany. bjoern.volkmer@t-online.de
authors.forename: Bjoern G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Volkmer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nesslauer
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuefer
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.forename: Stefan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kraemer
authors.forename: Hans Werner
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Gottfried
mesh_terms: D019160:Endosonography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*