GU PATHOLOGIES AND RENAL IMAGING TECHNIQUES Flashcards
WHAT ARE THE THE ANATOMY THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT DURING RENAL IMAGING?
- Outline of the kidneys
- Outline of the bladder
- Track the running of the ureters- normally by the transverse processes ? any obvious stones
- Is the stomach and bowel gas normal in position- raised /pushed? Mass
WHAT ARE THE COMMON CLINICAL INDICATION FOR IMAGING THE RENAL TRACT?
- flank pain
- unable to pee
- blood in the urine
- pain during urinating
- pain in lumbar region
- lump
WHAT CAN BE VISUALISED ON A KUB PLAIN FILM X-RAY?
- Evaluate kidney size, location and morphology
- Visualisation of calcifications- calculi (kidney stone)
- Highlight other potential pathologies/incidental findings
- Spinal disease
- Metastases
WHAT ARE THE COMMON CLINICAL INDICATION ON PLAIN FILM KUB X-RAY?
- Haematuria (micro or macroscopic)
- ? Stones (urolithiasis)
- Post Surgery (stents)
- Loin pain
- Dysuria (pain while urinating)
WHAT IS THE TECHNIQUE FOR KUB PLAIN FILM X-RAY?
- The patient should lay in a supine position on the x-ray table.
- Median sagittal plane (MSP) perpendicular to the table-top.
- Anterior superior iliac spines (ASIS) ,must be equidistant from the table-top= no rotation
CENTRING POINT = level of the iliac crest - in the midline of the body
BREATHING TECHNIQUE = ARRESTED RESPIRATION
COLLIMATE TO INCLUDE:
- Superiorly= Diaphragm
- Inferiorly= Symphysis pubis
- Laterally = Lateral properitoneal fat stripes
HOW DO WE CHECK FOR KIDNEY STONES?
- check the outline of the kidney
- track the ureters. ( near transverse process of the spine)
- check bladder
WHAT IS STAGHORN CALCULUS?
- generally an incidental finding
- patient generally does not experience any pain - the stone is not moving therefore it is not irritating the surrounding tissue.
- poor kidney function
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF RENAL STENT X -RAY?
- check if the stent is in the right place.
- sometimes the stent is placed over the left iliac crest as the patient has had a kidney transplant therefore their kidneys sit lower. - NO CONTRAST FOR NEW KIDNEY TRANSPLANT PATIENT
WHAT ARE THE COMMON INDICATIONS FOR A INTRAVENOUS UROGRAM (IVU)?
- Renal colic
- Haematuria
- Recurrent urinary tract infection
- Suspected urinary tract pathology
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE INCIDENTAL FINDINGS YOU WILL SEE FROM IVC PROCEDURE?
- duplex kidney - two kidneys that have fused together leading to the collecting system joining together - high chance of UTI
- horseshoe kidney - two kidneys have fused together at the lower pole ( smiley face) - common symptoms include: obstruction/ UTI
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING ULTRASOUND IN RENAL IMAGING?
- It is effective in evaluating:
- renal size,
- masses,
- renal obstruction,
- bladder residual volumes
- prostatic size.
- Patency of vessels (Doppler)
- It is non-invasive and non-ionising radiation so can be used frequently.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE DISADVANTAGES OF ULTRASOUND FOR RENAL IMAGING?
- cannot be used in areas with a lot of air - cannot be passed through a bowel full of air therefore anatomy underneath the bowel is hard to see.
2, low-quality imaging - non-specific
- very user dependant
WHAT ARE THE COMMON CLINICAL INDICATION FOR RENAL IMAGING USING ULTRASOUND?
- Renal parenchymal disease
- Renal obstruction & loin pain
- Haematuria (gross and microscopic)
- Hypertension
- Renal cysts & cystic disease
- Renal size measurement
- Bladder outflow obstruction
- UTI
- Bladder tumours (TCC)
- Renal transplant:
- Obstruction
WHAT IS THE PATIENT PREP FOR ULTRASOUND FOR RENAL IMAGING?
- Kidneys only:
- No preparation is needed - Kidneys & bladder:
- Full bladder needed
- 1 hour pre-scan give the patient at least 500-1000mls of fluid to drink
- Patients must not void the bladder or else they will have to fill it again.
WHAT IS THE TECHNIQUE FOR RENAL ULTRASOUND OF THE KIDNEY?
- 3 – 7 MHz curvilinear transducer using warmed coupling gel.
- Scanned supine longitudinally in an oblique coronal plane, supplemented by transverse sections perpendicular to the axis – exact views are determined by the sonographer to ensure all aspects of the renal tissue is visualised.
- All paeds are scanned in the prone position
- Obese and bariatric patients are more difficult to visualise on US.
- Shouldn’t be more than 2cm size difference between each kidney with normal kidney length at 9cm