title: [The usefulness of virtual endoscopy and CT urography in the diagnosis of upper urinary tract tumors].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Upper urinary tract (UUT) tumors are a relatively low incidence pathology which often represents a diagnostic challenge for the urologist, because several imaging tests are usually necessary to achieve the final diagnosis. Over the last years CT scan has suffered a notable development and nowadays, with the arrival of new image processing hardware and software, it is possible to detect small urothelial lesions and to perform 3-D urinary tract reconstruction and virtual endoscopic navigation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2004 and June 2005 we performed a total of 15 examinations in 15 patients for the study of asymptomatic hematuria of probable upper urinary tract origin. The technique included three phases to obtain images: basal phase, vascular phase and excretory phase. Processing and image analysis was performed by one radiologist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 10 tumors were diagnosed, with pathological confirmation in all cases. We did not register any complication secondary to the technique, and all patients tolerated well the exam.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CT urography is a safe, well-tolerated, highly sensitive and efficient imaging test, very useful in the diagnosis of renal and UUT pathology. It may become the only imaging test performed in the study of asymptomatic hematuria and the test of choice for the study of urological tumoral pathology.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Urología, Consorcio Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, España. chimojuan@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Joaquín Ulises
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Juan Escudero
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Esteban Hernández
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sánchez Ballester
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de la Torre Abril
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ordoño Domínguez
authors.forename: Milagros
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fabuel Deltoro
authors.forename: Macarena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramos de Campos
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: López Alcina
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Navalón Verdejo
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zaragoza Orts
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014516:Ureteral Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*