ULTRASOUND AND X-RAY EXAMINATIONS IN UROLITHIASIS

Ultrasonic and x-ray investigations were performed in 208 urolithiasis suspects. Concrements were diagnosed in 156 of them. X-rays failed to find concrements in 25 patients out of 128 with calyceal concrements diagnosed ultrasonically because of the concrements' small size, their x-ray negativity and ultrasonic hyper-diagnosis. Pelvic concrements were registered in 12 patients by both the methods. Detection of ureteroliths (16 cases) was not an easy task for echography which was, however, rather successful after the lumen extension up to 1 rm. Excretory urography provided additional information on the upper urinary tracts: stricture of the ureteropelvic segment, juxtavesical ureteral stricture, incomplete renal and ureteral doubling(15, 3 and 7 subjects, respectively), etc. Combined application of,ultrasonography and excretory urography in urolithiasis facilitates the choice of optimal treatment for it can both localize concrement and assess the condition of the urinary tracts.