Nephrolithiasis is a common condition that affects a large number of Americans. An imaging diagnosis is required for adequate treatment and follow-up, and a large variety of imaging modalities exist for this purpose. In this review, we discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and specific uses for a wide array of imaging methods, including plain radiography, ultrasonography, CT, and others. In addition, special attention is paid to specific clinical situations for individual tests, such as when dealing with children, pregnant women, and patients in an intraoperative setting. Approximate costs and radiation doses of each modality are discussed as well. At the conclusion of this review, the reader should understand the utility of each imaging technique, along with the optimal situation for use and reasoning for these decisions.
This review contains 5 highly rendered figures, 2 tables, and 85 references
Key words: CT, diagnosis, digital tomosynthesis, fluoroscopy, follow-up, imaging, intravenous pyelography, MRI, nephrolithiasis, radiation dose, radiography, ultrasonography